ANTIBODIES AGAINST AUTOANTIGENS OF PRIMARY BILIARY CIRRHOSIS AND METHODS OF MAKING AND USING THEM

摘要

The present invention provides a method of making an isolated human monoclonal antibody, said antibody binds a mitochondrial antigen bound by a human autoantibody found in patients with PBC. Said method involves using a transgenic non-human animal that has the abilility to make human antibodies. The present invention also relates to a human monoclonal antibody that binds a mitochondrial antigen bound by a human autoantibody found in patients with PBC as well as cell line making this antibody. The present invention also relates to a transgenic non-human animal that has the ability to make human antibodies, wherein said animal makes a human monoclonal antibody that specifically binds a mitochondrial antigen bound by a human autoantibody found in patients with primary biliary cirrhosis. This invention also relates to methods of identifying antagonists of the antibodies that bind a mitochondrial antigen bound by a human autoantibody found in patients with PBC. The present invention also provides an isolated protein bound by human monoclonal antibody 3E7, wherein said isolated protein is a mitochondrial protein and has a molecular weight of approximately 100 kilodaltons as determined by SDS-PAGE.