Antibodies against phosphorylated VASP ( vasodilator-stimulated phosphoprotein), hybridoma cells for their preparation, and their use

Abstract

The invention relates to antibodies against VASP (vasodilator-stimulated phosphoprotein) which only bind VASP as an antigen when VASP is present in phosphorylated form, to hybridoma cells for their preparation, and to the use of the antibodies or antibody fragments as diagnostic agents and/or therapeutic agents.

1 . An antibody against VASP (vasodilator-stimulated phosphoprotein), which only binds VASP as antigen when VASP is present in phosphorylated form.  
     
     
         2 . An antibody as claimed in  claim 1 , which can be used for determining the phosphorylation status of VASP in biological material.  
     
     
         3 . An antibody as claimed in  claim 1  and/or  2 , which enables the phosphorylation of VASP in biological material to be determined quantitatively.  
     
     
         4 . An antibody as claimed in one or more of claims  1 - 3 , wherein VASP is only bound as antigen when VASP is phosphorylated at position serine 239 (phosphoserine 239 VASP).  
     
     
         5 . An antibody as claimed in one or more of claims  1 - 3 , wherein VASP is only bound as antigen when VASP is phosphorylated at position serine 157 (phosphoserine 157 VASP).  
     
     
         6 . An antibody as claimed in one or more of claims  1 - 5 , which can be used in the Western blotting technique.  
     
     
         7 . An antibody as claimed in one or more of claims  1 - 5 , which can be used in flow cytometry.  
     
     
         8 . An antibody as claimed in one or more of claims  1 - 7 , which is a polyclonal antibody.  
     
     
         9 . An antibody as claimed in one or more of claims  1 - 7 , which is a monoclonal antibody (Mab) or its fragments.  
     
     
         10 . A monoclonal antibody as claimed in  claim 9 , which is produced by the hybridoma cell line 16C2.  
     
     
         11 . A monoclonal antibody as claimed in  claim 9  and/or  10 , which is the Mab 16C2.  
     
     
         12 . A hybridoma cell line, which produces a monoclonal antibody as claimed in one or more of claims  9 - 11 .  
     
     
         13 . The hybridoma cell line 16C2, which produces the monoclonal antibody 16C2 (DSM ACC2330).  
     
     
         14 . The use of an antibody as claimed in one or more of claims  1 - 11  as a therapeutic agent.  
     
     
         15 . The use of an antibody as claimed in one or more of claims  1 - 11  as a diagnostic agent.  
     
     
         16 . The use of an antibody as claimed in  claim 15  for qualitatively and/or quantitatively determining the phosphorylation of VASP in biological material.  
     
     
         17 . The use of an antibody as claimed in  claim 15  for qualitatively and/or quantitatively determining phosphoserine 239 VASP or phosphoserine 157 VASP in biological material.  
     
     
         18 . The use of an antibody as claimed in one or more of claims  15 - 17 , wherein the biological material is human thrombocytes or human whole blood.  
     
     
         19 . The use of an antibody as claimed in one or more of claims  15 - 18  for detecting substances which affect the level of cGMP and/or cAMP in biological material.  
     
     
         20 . The use of an antibody as claimed in one or more of claims  15 - 19  for determining the in-vivo activity of endothelial factors.  
     
     
         21 . The use of an antibody as claimed in one or more of claims  15 - 20  for detecting an endothelial dysfunction.  
     
     
         22 . A diagnostic or therapeutic process, which comprises using polyclonal or monoclonal antibodies, or their fragments, to determine or influence the phosphorylation status of VASP, and/or its protein interactions, in biological material.  
     
     
         23 . A diagnostic process for qualitatively and/or quantitatively detecting VASP, which is phosphorylated at least at one of the positions serine 157, serine 239 and threonine 278, in biological material, which comprises using antibodies as claimed in one or more of claims  1 - 11 .  
     
     
         24 . The diagnostic process as claimed in  claim 23 , wherein VASP is phosphorylated at position serine 239 (phosphoserine 239 VASP).