Suppression of endogenous immunoglobulin expression in transgenic non-human animals expressing humanized or human antibodies

摘要

The invention provides a novel approach for suppression of endogenous antibody expression in non-human transgenic animals genetically engineered to express one or several human or humanized immunoglobulin transloci. Polyclonal or one or several monoclonal antibodies specific for endogenous IgM and/or IgE heavy and/or light chains are administered to the transgenic animals such that B-cells expressing their endogenous immunoglobulin are depleted and consequently expression of endogenous immunoglobulin is suppressed. Alternatively endogenous immunoglobulin expression may be inhibited through the expression of transgenes encoding such antibodies, including antibody fragments. This method allows the dominant expression of transloci coding for humanized or human antibodies in the blood, milk and eggs of transgenic animals.