The United States of America, as Represented by the Secretary, Department of Health and Human Services

Herbert C Morse, Iii

Warren Jaye Leonard

Rosanne Spolski

Peter E Lipsky

Catherine Rachel Ettinger

Dmitri Loukinov

Victor V Lobanenkov

The invention provides a method for promoting differentiation of a mature na&#xef;ve B cell or a B cell progenitor into a memory B cell or a plasma cell. The method comprises (a) contacting a population of cells comprising a mature na&#xef;ve B cell or a B cell progenitor with an agent that activates at least one of JAK1, JAK3, STAT3, STAT5A or STAT5B; wherein the population of cells optionally is contacted with an antigen, and (b) isolating the memory B cell or plasma cell.

Method of inducing memory B cell development and terminal differentiation

A method is disclosed herein for inducing differentiation of a B cell progenitor into a memory B cells and/or a plasma cell. The method includes contacting a population of cells including a mature B cell or a B cell progenitor with an effective amount of IL-21, and isolating memory B cells or plasma cells. In one embodiment, the B cell progenitor is an immature B cell. A method is also disclosed for enhancing an immune response. The method includes contacting a population of cells including a B cell progenitor with an effective amount of IL-21, and isolating memory B cells or plasma cells. The memory B cells arid/or the plasma cell are then introduced into the subject to enhance the immune response. A method is also disclosed for treating a subject with a condition comprising a specific deficiency of at least one of memory B cells and plasma cells. A method is disclosed for identifying an agent with a physiological effect on one or more of a memory B cell and a plasma cell differentiation. A method is also disclosed for identifying agents that inhibit an activity of IL-21.

A method is disclosed herein for inducing differentiation of a B cell progenitor into a memory B cells and/or a plasma cell. The method includes contacting a population of cells including a mature B cell or a B cell progenitor with an effective amount of IL-21, and isolating memory B cells or plasma cells. In one embodiment, the B cell progenitor is an immature B cell. A method is also disclosed for enhancing an immune response. The method includes contacting a population of cells including a B cell progenitor with an effective amount of IL-21, and isolating memory B cells or plasma cells. The memory B cells and/or the plasma cell are then introduced into the subject to enhance the immune response. A method is also disclosed for treating a subject with a condition comprising a specific deficiency of at least one of memory B cells and plasma cells. A method is disclosed for identifying an agent with a physiological effect on one or more of a memory B cell and a plasma cell differentiation. A method is also disclosed for identifying agents that inhibit an activity of IL-21. Methods are also disclosed for inducing apoptosis of a B cell and for decreasing the number of B cells. A method is also described for producing a B cell hybridoma.

An isolated or purified nucleic acid molecule consisting essentially of a nucleotide sequence encoding a human or a non-human BORIS, or a fragment of either of the foregoing; an isolated or purified nucleic acid molecule consisting essentially of a nucleotide sequence that is complementary to a nucleotide sequence encoding a human or a non-human BORIS, or a fragment of either of the foregoing; a vector comprising such an isolated or purified nucleic acid molecule; a cell comprising such a vector; an isolated or purified polypeptide molecule consisting essentially of an amino acid sequence encoding a human or a non-human BORIS, or a fragment of either of the foregoing; a cell line that produces a monoclonal antibody that is specific for an aforementioned isolated or purified polypeptide molecule; and the monoclonal antibody produced by the cell line; methods of diagnosing a cancer or a predisposition to a cancer in a male or female mammal; a method of prognosticating a cancer in a mammal; a method of assessing the effectiveness of treatment of a cancer in a mammal; a method of treating a mammal prophylactically or therapeutically for a cancer, and a composition comprising a carrier and an inhibitor of BORIS.

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Rockville, MD, United States of America

Herbert C Morse, Iii