Functional Genetics, Inc.

Other

Eli Lilly and Company

Johns Hopkins University

Limin Li

Michael Scott Kinch

Roxanne Duan

Michael Goldblatt

Xiao-Fang Yu

Bindong Liu

Michael Goldbiatt

Mark S Wang

The present invention provides antibodies that bind to the C-terminal region of TSG101. The invention also provides methods of using the TSG101 antibodies for the treatment of viral infections, including HIV and Ebola virus infection.

Anti-TSG101 antibodies and their uses for treatment of viral infections

The invention involves the detection of virally infected cells by antibodies or antibody fragments which selectively bind to TSG101. TSG101 is on the surface of mammalian cells, and thus available for detection by antibodies, during viral budding&#x2014;a phenomenon wherein viral particles escape a virally infected cell after propagation in that cell, so as to infect other cells. To achieve budding, a protein, TSG101 is 'hijacked' and misdirected to, or mis-expressed on, the surface of the infected cell. Antibodies can be used to selectively detect such infected cells. Certain TSG101 antibodies may provide therapeutic benefit when administered to infected mammals.

Methods for detecting enveloped virus infections by measuring cell surface TSG101

The present invention provides methods of using antibodies that bind a TSG101 protein to inhibit or reduce viral production. The invention also provides methods of using the TSG101 antibodies for the treatment of viral infections, including HIV infection. The invention further provides methods of detecting viral infected cells using TSG101 antibodies.

The importance of interaction between TSG101 and Vps28 in the release of HIV-1 and other viruses is disclosed. Suppressing or interfering in this interaction may inhibit HIV-1 virion release from infected cells. Agents that modulate this interaction include antibodies that bind to Vps28, polypeptides that bind to Vps28, and nucleic acids that may be used in gene therapy to interfere with the expression of wild type Vps28. Administration of such agents in vitro for screening and diagnostic purposes, and in vivo for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes, is disclosed.

Method for reducing HIV viral budding by administering a VPS28-specfic antibody that disrupts Gag-TSG101-VPS28 binding interactions

Methods and apparatus are employed for determining interactions between different components, of the same or different type of composition. The apparatus provides for arrays of samples in tracks, where light emitting labels are excited and emitted light detected. Headers are provided for defining sites, so that particular interactions can be rapidly detected. Particularly, disks having circular tracks with headers defining sites on the tracks, so that positive signals can be interpreted in relation to the information provided by the header. Various modifications can be made, such as preprepared segments which may then be attached to the disk for assaying.

Growing community of inventors

North Bethesda, MD, United States of America

Limin Li