Vegetarian Protein A Preparation and Methods Thereof

Abstract

The invention relates to methods of producing Protein A without contamination of the Protein A by animal products. The invention also relates to a vegetarian fermentation media in which Staphylococcus aureus is grown to produce a vegetarian Protein A. The invention further relates to a vegetarian Protein A and the use of a vegetarian Protein A in therapeutic and prophylactic methods.

1 - 37 . (canceled) 
     
     
         38 . Vegetarian Protein A produced by the method comprising:
 fermenting a secretor strain of  Staphylococcus aureus  ( S. aureus ) in a media containing yeast extract, vegetarian amino acids and peptides, glucose and essential salts, said media being free of animal products, to produce a Protein A-containing media,   harvesting the Protein A-containing media; and   purifying the vegetarian Protein A by applying the Protein A-containing media to a synthetic anion exchange chromatography resin lacking animal products and eluting the Protein A from the resin followed by contacting with a ceramic hydroxyapatite chromatography column and eluting the Protein A from the column.   
     
     
         39 . Vegetarian Protein A. 
     
     
         40 . A pharmaceutical composition comprising the vegetarian Protein A of  claim 39  and a suitable carrier. 
     
     
         41 . A method of treating a patient in need thereof by administering the pharmaceutical composition of  claim 40 . 
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 41  wherein the patient is treated in order to stimulate cytokine or cryoglobulin production. 
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 41  wherein the patient is treated for an infection or a compromised immune system. 
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 43  wherein the pharmaceutical composition is administered by injection into the patient's bloodstream. 
     
     
         45 . The vegetarian Protein A of  claim 39  immobilized to a chromatography resin to form a vegetarian Protein A-chromatography resin. 
     
     
         46 . The vegetarian Protein A-chromatography resin of  claim 45  wherein the chromatography resin is synthetic polymer or amorphous material. 
     
     
         47 . The vegetarian Protein A-chromatography resin of  claim 46  wherein the synthetic polymer is polymethacrylate or polygalactose. 
     
     
         48 . The vegetarian Protein A-chromatography resin of  claim 46  wherein the amorphous material is silica or diatomaceous earth. 
     
     
         49 . The vegetarian Protein A-chromatography resin of  claim 45  that is produced by reacting a carboxyl or amino group on the vegetarian protein A with a chemically functional group on the chromatography resin. 
     
     
         50 . A method of binding antibodies or antibody fragments to a chromatography resin comprising applying the antibodies or antibody fragments to the vegetarian Protein A-chromatography resin of  claim 45 . 
     
     
         51 . The method of  claim 50  wherein the antibodies or antibody fragments are applied to the vegetarian Protein A-chromatography resin in order to purify them. 
     
     
         52 . A pharmaceutical composition comprising the purified antibodies or antibody fragments produced by the method of  claim 51  and a suitable carrier. 
     
     
         53 . A method of treating a patient in need thereof by administering the pharmaceutical composition of  claim 52 . 
     
     
         54 . The method of  claim 53  wherein the patient is treated for cancer. 
     
     
         55 . A pharmaceutical composition comprising the vegetarian Protein A-chromatography resin of  claim 45  and a suitable carrier. 
     
     
         56 . A method of treating a patient in need thereof by administering the pharmaceutical composition of  claim 55 . 
     
     
         57 . The method of  claim 56  wherein the patient is treated for acquired hemophilia. 
     
     
         58 . The method of  claim 56  wherein the patient is treated for autoimmune disease or immune-related problems. 
     
     
         59 . The method of  claim 58  wherein the autoimmune disease is rheumatoid arthritis or dilated cardiomyopathy. 
     
     
         60 . The method of  claim 58  wherein the immune-related problem is graft-versus-host disease.