Abstract: The invention relates to ligands, such as immunoglobulin single variable domains, that have binding specificity for a receptor. Preferably the receptor is a cell surface receptor and/or the ligand inhibits the activity of the receptor.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for isolating from the immunological gene repertoire a gene coding for a receptor having the ability to bind a preselected ligand. Receptors produced by the gene isolated by the method, particularly catalytic receptors, are also contemplated.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for isolating from the immunological gene repertoire a gene coding for a receptor having the ability to bind a preselected ligand. Receptors produced by the gene isolated by the method, particularly catalytic receptors, are also contemplated.

Abstract: Apparatuses and methods for dispensing cards and other items. In one embodiment, a card dispensing apparatus includes at least first and second card hoppers and a movable card carriage. The card carriage is movable between a first position proximate to the first card hopper and a second position proximate to the second card hopper. The card carriage is configured to receive a first card from the first card hopper when in the first position and a second card from the second card hopper when in the second position. In one aspect of this embodiment, the card carriage can dispense at least the first card into a card outlet chute when the first card has been sufficiently read by a card reader. Alternatively, the card carriage can dispense the first card into a card escrow chute when the first card has not been sufficiently read by the card reader.

Abstract: The invention relates to a nucleic acid construct for delivery into living cells in vivo for inducing an immune response in a patient to an idiotypic determinant present on a malignant B cell in the patient; the construct directing the expression of a fusion protein, said fusion protein comprising the idiotypic determinant and at least one T helper cell epitope from tetanus toxin. The invention further relates to a method of making the nucleic acid construct, a method of treating a patient, and to a composition comprising the nucleic acid construct.

Abstract: Apparatuses and methods for dispensing cards and other items. In one embodiment, a card dispensing apparatus includes at least first and second card hoppers and a movable card carriage. The card carriage is movable between a first position proximate to the first card hopper and a second position proximate to the second card hopper. The card carriage is configured to receive a first card from the first card hopper when in the first position and a second card from the second card hopper when in the second position. In one aspect of this embodiment, the card carriage can dispense at least the first card into a card outlet chute when the first card has been sufficiently read by a card reader. Alternatively, the card carriage can dispense the first card into a card escrow chute when the first card has not been sufficiently read by the card reader.

Abstract: An antibody is produced, which will bind effectively with the antigen Campath-1, and which has at least one complementarity determining region of rat origin, as identified in FIG. 2, which may be combined with a range of different foreign variable domain framework regions as desired, including framework regions of human origin.

Abstract: We have made retrovirus particles displaying a functional antibody fragment. We fused the gene encoding an antibody fragment directed against a hapten with that encoding the viral envelope protein (Pr80env) of the ecotropic Moloney murine leukemia virus. The fusion gene was co-expressed in ecotropic retroviral packaging cells with a retroviral plasmid carrying the neomycin phosphotransferase gene (neo), and retroviral particles with specific hapten biding activities were recovered. Furthermore the hapten-binding particles were able to transfer the neo gene and the antibody-envelope fusion gene to mouse fibroblasts. In principle, the display of antibody fragments on the surface of recombinant retroviral particles could be used to target virus to cells for gene delivery, or to retain the virus in target tissues, or for the construction of libraries of viral display packages.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for isolating from the immunological gene repertoire a gene coding for a receptor having the ability to bind a preselected ligand. Receptors produced by the gene isolated by the method, particularly catalytic receptors, are also contemplated.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for isolating from the immunological gene repertoire a gene coding for a receptor having the ability to bind a preselected ligand. Receptors produced by the gene isolated by the method, particularly catalytic receptors, are also contemplated.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for isolating from the immunological gene repertoire a gene coding for a receptor having the ability to bind a preselected ligand. Receptors produced by the gene isolated by the method, particularly catalytic receptors, are also contemplated.

Abstract: An antibody is produced, which will bind effectively with the antigen Campath-1, and which has at least one complementarity determining region of rat origin, as identified in FIG. 2, which may be combined with a range of different foreign variable domain framework regions as desired, including framework regions of human origin.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method of treating a heterogeneous population of cells to link together copies of two or more nucleic acid sequences from at least some of the cells, the arrangement being such that copies of the DNA sequences from an individual cell are preferentially linked in the vicinity of the nucleic acid from which the copies are derived. Also disclosed are recombinant proteins expressed by the method of the invention and kits for performing said method.

Abstract: We have made retrovirus particles displaying a functional antibody fragment. We fused the gene encoding an antibody fragment directed against a hapten with that encoding the viral envelope protein (Pr80env) of the ecotropic Moloney murine leukemia virus. The fusion gene was co-expressed in ecotropic retroviral packaging cells with a retroviral plasmid carrying the neomycin phosphotransferase gene (neo), and retroviral particles with specific hapten biding activities were recovered. Furthermore the hapten-binding particles were able to transfer the neo gene and the antibody-envelope fusion gene to mouse fibroblasts. In principle, the display of antibody fragments on the surface of recombinant retroviral particles could be used to target virus to cells for gene delivery, or to retain the virus in target tissues, or for the construction of libraries of viral display packages.

Abstract: An antibody with an altered function, e.g. altered affinity for an effector ligand such as Fc receptor (FcR) on a cell or the C1 component of complement is produced by replacing at least one amino acid residue in the constant portion of the antibody with a different residue.

Abstract: Methods are disclosed which may be used for the production of antibodies, or antibody fragments, which have the same binding specificity as a parent antibody but which have increased human characteristics. Humanized antibodies may be obtained by chain shuffling, perhaps using phage display technology. In one embodiment, a polypeptide comprising a heavy or light chain variable domain of a non-human antibody specific for an antigen of interest is combined with a repertoire of human complementary (light or heavy) chain variable domains. Hybrid pairings which are specific for the antigen of interest are selected. Human chains from the selected pairings may then be combined with a repertoire of human complementary variable domains (heavy or light) and humanized antibody polypeptide dimers can then be selected for binding specificity for antigen. The methods may be combined with CDR-imprinting.

Abstract: An altered antibody is produced by replacing the complementarity determining regions (CDRs) of a variable region of an immunoglobulin (Ig) with the CDRs from an Ig of different specificity, using recombinant DNA techniques. The gene coding sequences for producing the altered antibody may be produced by site-directed mutagenesis using long oligonucleotides.