Km Biologics Co., Ltd.

Juridical Foundation the Chemo-sero-therapeutic Research Institute

Astellas Pharma Gmbh

Kumamoto University

The Chemo-sero-therapeutic Research Institute

Judicial Foundation the Chemo-sero-therapeutic Res.

The Chemo-sero-therapeutic Reserach Institute

National University Corporation Kumamoto University

Masaharu Torikai

Toshihiro Nakashima

Kenji Soejima

Hirofumi Higuchi

Hiroyuki Shimizu

Hiroaki Mori

Yu Su

Yukio Ando

Miyuki Matsumoto

Hirofumi Jono

Nobuchika Yamamoto

Masayo Ueno

Tomoyo Takeo

Akihiko Hosoi

Tomohiro Nishimura

Fumihiko Sakai

Naoki Inoue

Mineyuki Mizuguchi

Hiroaki Maeda

Kazuhisa Sugimura

Toshimitsu Uede

Shigeyuki Kon

Akihiro Koube

Katsunari Taguchi

Hirotada Fujita

Takahiro Katayama

Daisuke Ishikawa

Ryo Yamaue

Yoshiyuki Tokieda

Kohsuke Hazeyama

Takamasa Nagatomo

Mihoko Matsuo

Satoshi Kamakura

An object of the present invention is to provide an effective vaccine capable of preventing and treating congenital infection with CMV. The vaccine for preventing or treating congenital infection with cytomegalovirus (CMV) according to the present invention comprises a CMV envelope glycoprotein B (gB protein) antigen and a pentamer antigen.

Vaccine for preventing or treating congenital infection with cytomegalovirus

The present invention is directed to provide a modified CMV gB protein that can induce a group of antibodies including a high ratio of neutralizing antibodies that exhibit a high neutralizing activity against a CMV gB protein, in comparison with a wild type CMV gB, upon induction of immunity and that can be used in the prevention and/or treatment of CMV infection and a CMV vaccine comprising the modified CMV gB protein. The modified CMV gB protein according to the present invention is a modified CMV gB protein having an improved ability to induce body region-recognizing antibodies and comprising modification in a head region.

Modified CMV gB protein and CMV vaccine including same

A novel vaccine antigen for prevention of Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) infection is created which surpasses conventional vaccines comprising as an antigen RSV F protein alone in view of efficacy and/or safety. A vaccine is prepared which comprises as an antigen a RSV F/G chimeric protein wherein a portion of RSV F protein as a basic structure is replaced with a whole or a portion of Conserved Central Domain sequence of RSV G protein or wherein a whole or a portion of Conserved Central Domain sequence of RSV G is added to the basic structure. As a result of assessment of both efficacy and safety, a vaccine comprising as an antigen the F/G chimeric protein of the present invention confirmed to be more excellent than a vaccine comprising as an antigen RSV F protein alone in view of efficacy and/or safety.

RSV F/G chimeric vaccine

A human antibody which comprises a complementarity determining region of an H chain consisting of the amino acid sequence as shown in SEQ ID NOs: 1 to 3 and a complementarity determining region of an L chain consisting of the amino acid sequence as shown in SEQ ID NOs: 4 to 6. The human antibody of the present invention has the activity to specifically bind to transthyretin (TTR) with structural change and the activity to inhibit fibrillization of TTR and is a human antibody suitable for application to human body.

Anti-transthyretin human antibody

A humanized antibody which comprises a complementarity determining region of an H chain consisting of the amino acid sequence as shown in SEQ ID NOs: 1 to 3 and a complementarity determining region of an L chain consisting of the amino acid sequence as shown in SEQ ID NOs: 4 to 6. The humanized antibody of the present invention has the activity to specifically bind to transthyretin (TTR) with structural change and the activity to inhibit fibrillization of TTR and is a humanized antibody suitable for application to human body.

Anti-transthyretin humanized antibody

The present invention relates to a human anti-human IL-18 antibody which reacts with human interleukin-18 (human IL-18) and does not react with a K53A variant of human IL-18.

Human antibody against IL-18

The present invention provides for a method for improving properties of an antibody such as an expression level and stability. A method for obtaining an antibody with an improved expression level and/or stability by modifying human antibody or a humanized antibody, characterized by that at least any one of the amino acid residues at position 8, 12, 15 or 18 (according to Kabat numbering) in a light chain variable region (hereinafter referred to as 'VL chain') of a human antibody or a humanized antibody is substituted with a different amino acid other than proline or cysteine, and a human antibody or a humanized antibody or a human antibody fragment or a humanized antibody fragment with an improved expression level and/or stability which are obtained by said method.

Method for improving antibody

The present invention provides for a method for improving properties of an antibody such as an expression level and stability. A method for obtaining an antibody with an improved expression level and/or stability by modifying a human antibody or a humanized antibody, characterized by that at least any one of the amino acid residues at position 8, 12, 15 or 18 (according to Kabat numbering) in a light chain variable region (hereinafter referred to as 'VL chain') of a human antibody or a humanized antibody is substituted with a different amino acid other than proline or cysteine, and a human antibody or a humanized antibody or a human antibody fragment or a humanized antibody fragment with an improved expression level and/or stability which are obtained by said method.

The present invention provides a human anti-&#x3b1;9 integrin antibody or an antibody fragment which specifically recognize human &#x3b1;9 integrin and mouse &#x3b1;9 integrin, inhibit interaction with their ligands, particularly, the antibody or antibody fragment which recognize loop regions of human and mouse &#x3b1;9 integrins, a gene encoding the antibody or antibody fragment, a recombinant expression vector containing the gene, a transformant harboring the gene, production method of human anti-&#x3b1;9 integrin antibody or antibody fragment using the transformant, and an agent for the prophylaxis or treatment of rheumatoid arthritis which contains the antibody or antibody fragment.

Human anti-&#x3b1;9 integrin antibody

The present invention provides a humanized anti-human osteopontin antibody having better activities (antigen binding activity, leukocyte migration inhibitory activity and the like) and/or stability (resistance to heat, low-pH conditions, denaturants and the like) than those of conventional anti-human osteopontin antibodies.

Humanized anti-human osteopontin antibody

An antibody or an antibody fragment is provided that is efficacious for treating allergic diseases in which IgE is involved. A human antibody and a fragment thereof to a receptor (Fc&#x3b5;RI) having high affinity to Fc portion of IgE was obtained using phage antibody display technique. The human anti-IgE receptor antibody and a fragment thereof of the invention has an activity to inhibit the binding between IgE and IgE receptor and hence is expected to be useful as a medicament for treating allergic diseases caused by the binding between IgE and IgE receptor.

Human type antihuman IgE receptor antibody and fragment

A recombinant antibody in which at least the constant regions in the heavy chain and the light chain have been converted into human-origin regions and which inhibits the binding of an integrin recognizing the RGD sequence to osteopontin or its fragment and inhibits the binding of an integrin recognizing the SVVYGLR sequence or a sequence corresponding thereto to osteopontin or its fragment. This antibody is useful as a remedy for autoimmune diseases and a remedy for rheumatism or rheumatoid arthritis. Thus, a method of treating autoimmune diseases, rheumatism or rheumatoid arthritis is provided. This osteopontin antibody is useful in a diagnostic for rheumatism and a method of diagnosing rheumatism too.

Recombinant anti-osteopontin antibody and use thereof

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Kumamoto, Japan

Masaharu Torikai