Abstract: The invention identifies the B7 antigen as a ligand that is reactive with the CD28 receptor on T cells. Fragments and derivatives of the B7 antigen and CD28 receptor, including fusion proteins having amino acid sequences corresponding to the extracellular domains of B7 or CD28 joined to amino acid sequences encoding portions of human immunoglobulin C.gamma.1, are described. Methods are provided for using B7 antigen, its fragments and derivatives, and the CD28 receptor, its fragments and derivatives, as well as antibodies and other molecules reactive with B7 antigen and/or the CD28 receptor, to regulate CD28 positive T cell responses, and immune responses mediated by T cells. The invention also includes an assay method for detecting ligands reactive with cellular receptors mediating intercellular adhesion.

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: Humanized and chimeric anti-epidermal growth factor receptor (anti-EGF-R) monoclonal antibodies are disclosed, comprising an artificial modified consensus sequence for the heavy chain of the framework region of the variable region of a human immunoglobulin. Corresponding humanized and chimeric monoclonal antibodies which bind to epitopes of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGF-R) having specific amino acid sequences in the hypervariable regions responsible for EGF-R binding are also disclosed. These antibodies are therapeutically and diagnostically useful.

Abstract: The present invention provides a composition of matter useful for enhancing the viability of hybridomas in culture which comprises a partially purified, cell-free extract derived from a medium conditioned by mitogen-stimulated macrophages, the extract being substantially free of the macrophage stimulating mitogen which had been added to the medium, and having within it a component characterized by the ability to enhance the viability of hybridomas in culture, and by an apparent molecular weight in the range from about 35,000 to about 45,000. Also provided are methods of preparing the composition of matter, and methods for enhancing the viability of hybridomas in culture.

Abstract: The invention relates to a CHO cell-line capable of producing antibody, the cell-line having been co-transfected with a vector capable of expressing the light chain of the antibody and a vector capable of expressing the heavy chain of the antibody wherein the vectors contain independently selectable markers; also included is a CHO cell-line capable of producing a human antibody or an altered antibody, the cell-line having been transfected with a vector capable of expressing the light chain of the antibody and the heavy chain of the antibody; process for the production of antibody using a CHO cell-line and antibody having CHO glycosylation.

Abstract: The invention relates to a CHO cell-line capable of producing antibody, the cell-line having been co-transfected with a vector capable of expressing the light chain of the antibody and a vector capable of expressing the heavy chain of the antibody wherein the vectors contain independently selectable markers; also included is a CHO cell-line capable of producing a human antibody or an altered antibody, the cell-line having been transfected with a vector capable of expressing the light chain of the antibody and the heavy chain of the antibody; process for the production of antibody using a CHO cell-line and antibody having CHO glycosylation.

Abstract: The invention relates to a CHO cell-line capable of producing antibody, the cell-line having been co-transfected with a vector capable of expressing the light chain of the antibody and a vector capable of expressing the heavy chain of the antibody wherein the vectors contain independently selectable markers; also included is a CHO cell-line capable of producing a human antibody or an altered antibody, the cell-line having been transfected with a vector capable of expressing the light chain of the antibody and the heavy chain of the antibody; process for the production of antibody using a CHO cell-line and antibody having CHO glycosylation.

Abstract: Disclosed are DNAs produced by recombinant techniques for inducing the expression and subsequent secretion of a target protein. The DNAs encode, in their 5' to 3' direction, a secretion cassette, including a signal sequence and an immunoglobulin Fc region, and a target protein. The DNAs can be transfected into a host cell for the expression, production and subsequent secretion of the target protein as a fusion protein. The secreted protein can be collected from the extracellular space, and further purified as desired. The secreted fusion protein additionally can be proteolytically cleaved to release the target protein from the secretion cassette.

Abstract: This invention relates to a method for the prevention of monocyte adherence to the endothelial cells lining blood vessels, their subsequent invasion of surrounding tissues and diseases related thereto. It comprises inducing a monocyte adhesion protein to the surface of endothelial cells by treatment with specific cytokines, preparing a monoclonal antibody to the monocyte adhesion protein and contacting the antibody to the protein to form a complex. The monoclonal antibody does not bind to the cell surface proteins VCAM or ELAM. The complex results in a decrease in the adherence of monocytes to endothelial cells and thereby attenuates or prevents the harmful effects of monocyte invasion of endothelial cells and surrounding tissues.

Abstract: Disclosed is a formulation for targeting an epitope on an antigen expressed in a mammal. The formulation comprises a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier together with a dimeric biosynthetic construct for binding at least one preselected antigen. The biosynthetic construct contains two polypeptide chains, each of which define single-chain Fv (sFv) binding proteins and have C-terminal tails that facilitate the crosslinking of two sFv polypeptides. The resulting dimeric constructs have a conformation permitting binding of a said preselected antigen by the binding site of each said polypeptide chain when administered to said mammal. The formulation has particular utility in in vivo imaging and drug targeting experiments.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a rational, elegant means of producing, loading and using Class I molecules to specifically activate CD8 cells in vitro, and their therapeutic applications in the treatment of a variety of conditions, including cancer, tumors or neoplasias, as well as viral, retroviral, autoimmune, and autoimmune-type diseases. The present invention also relates to vectors, cell lines, recombinant DNA molecules encoding human .beta.2 microglobulin or Class I MHC molecules in soluble and insoluble form, and methods of producing same.

Abstract: Monoclonal antibody K1 binds to an epitope on the surface of cells of some human tumors, but not to many important normal tissues. Unlike similar antigenic sites such as CA125, this epitope is not shed into the plasma of patients with mesothelioma, e.g. with ovarian cancer. Since the K1 monoclonal antibody is therefore not neutralized by circulating antigen immediately upon injection into the bloodstream, and since K1 allows efficient entry of coupled toxins into cells, the K1 monoclonal antibody can be used in the diagnosis of mesotheliomas.

Abstract: The invention identifies the B7 antigen as a ligand that is reactive with the CD28 receptor on T cells. Fragments and derivatives of the B7 antigen and CD28 receptor, including fusion proteins having amino acid sequences corresponding to the extracellular domains of B7 or CD28 joined to amino acid sequences encoding portions of human immunoglobulin C.gamma.1, are described. Methods are provided for using B7 antigen, its fragments and derivatives, and the CD28 receptor, its fragments and derivatives, as well as antibodies and other molecules reactive with B7 antigen and/or the CD28 receptor, to regulate CD28 positive T cell responses, and immune responses mediated by T cells. The invention also includes an assay method for detecting ligands reactive with cellular receptors mediating intercellular adhesion.

Abstract: A polypeptide which is a tumor necrosis factor polypeptide having an amino acid sequence represented by from the 1st Ser to the 155th Leu as shown by SEQ ID NO:1 in the Sequence Listing, or its mutein, wherein the amino acid sequence of the 1st Ser to the 8th Asp of the SEQ ID NO:1 or the corresponding amino acid sequence of the mutein is replaced by an amino acid sequence containing at least one amino acid sequence of Arg-Gly-Asp and from 3 to 16 amino acids. Also disclosed are a recombinant plasmid containing a DNA encoding such a polypeptide, a recombinant microbial cell transformed by such a recombinant plasmid, a process for producing the polypeptide, a pharmaceutical composition comprising the polypeptide as an active ingredient, and a DNA for the polypeptide.

Abstract: Antigenic epitopes associated with the extracellular segment of the domain which anchors dog immunoglobulin-.epsilon. to the B cell membrane are disclosed. The epitopes are present on dog IgE-bearing B cells but not basophils or the secreted, soluble form of dog IgE. The peptides representing the epitopes associated with the anchor domain of dog IgE can be used to generate antibodies against these regions.

Abstract: The present invention provides novel compositions and methods useful in the modulation or selective suppression of host immune responses to an immunogen of interest, particularly to immunogens which are exogenous antigens or allergens. Subject compositions include antibody, antibody derived, and antibody-like molecules of primary antigen reactivity with respect to the immunogen of interest. Antibodies or antibody-like or antibody-derived molecules include antibody fragments such as Fab, and complementarity determining region peptides (CDRs) which may be grafted into a framework region of any species, particularly human. They also include human antibodies, derived from sensitized human lymphocytes produced by cell fusion with heterohybridomas, or by DNA cloning and expression. Other compositions include T cell receptor (TCR) molecules, obtained either from T cell clones or hybridomas or as purified TCR preparations.

Abstract: Methods for preparing metabolically stable, covalently crosslinked F(ab').sub.2 fragments of antibody molecules for use in labeled form as in vivo diagnostic and therapeutic agents, the stabilized F(ab').sub.2 fragments so produced in free form or conjugated to a chemical moiety, kits containing such fragments, and methods of using these fragments for diagnosis or therapy, are disclosed. In the method, crosslinking is carried out after reduction of inter-heavy chain disulfide bonds, but before cleavage of the crosslinked antibody to produce the F(ab').sub.2 molecules.

Abstract: A humanised antibody is provided in which the amino acid sequence of the CDRs is derived from the sequence of CDRs of a monoclonal antibody having the specificity of binding to resting and activated T-cells, inhibiting T-cell proliferation and lysing T-cells from mice transgenic for human CD2 and in which sufficient of the amino acid sequence of each CDR has been retained to provide the same specificity for the humanised antibody.

Abstract: Monoclonal antibodies which recognize a continuous epitope in the sexual stages of P. falciparum. The epitope so recognized has the following amino acid sequence: ##STR1## Malaria vaccines based on this epitope are also disclosed.

Abstract: An animal tissue antigen for osteoporotic patients that reacts with antibody in a serum of human osteoporotic patients, but does not react with that in normal human serum. Preferably, a specific antigen for osteoporotic patients in rat or mouse epithelium of tongue mucous membrane, epithelium of tracheal mucous membrane, upper lip epidermis or follicular epithelium containing upper lip hair shafts, or a specific antigen for osteoporotic patients contained in cultured cells of a human squamous cell tongue carcinoma cell lines such as SCC-9 and fibroblast cell lines such as MRC-5. Osteoporosis can be both specifically and easily diagnosed by bringing the above-mentioned antigen in contact with a serum of a subject and then testing for the presence of an antigen-antibody reaction.