Monoclonal antibody and antigens for diagnosing and treating lung disease and injury

Abstract

The present invention provides methods for diagnosing a patient with emphysema, COPD of lung injury caused by tobacco use by detecting the levels of EMAP II in a sample. Disclosed herein are the hypervariable regions for a rat monoclonal antibody that binds to a form of EMAP II. This disclosure also includes a polypeptide sequence included in EMAP II that is the target for the binding of the antibody to its target protein. This epitope serves as the basis for a humanized antibody that can be used to treat patients that suffer from pathologies that exhibit elevated levels of EMAP II expression.

We claim: 
     
         1 . An antibody, comprising:
 a heavy chain variable region, wherein said heavy chain variable region includes at least a portion of a first polypeptide according to SEQ. ID. NO. 2; and   a light chain variable region, wherein said light chain variable region includes at least a portion of a second polypeptide according to SEQ. ID. NO. 3, wherein said antibody is humanized and the humanized antibody binds to human EMAPII.   
     
     
         2 . The antibody according to  claim 1 , wherein said first polypeptide has at least 99 percent homology to SEQ. ID. NO. 2, and said second polypeptide has at least 99 percent homology to SEQ. ID. NO. 3. 
     
     
         3 . The antibody according to  claim 1 , wherein said first polypeptide has at least 95 percent identity to SEQ. ID. NO. 2 and said second polypeptide has at least 95 percent identity to SEQ. ID. NO. 3. 
     
     
         4 . The antibody according to  claim 1 , wherein said first polypeptide has at least 99 percent identity to SEQ. ID. NO. 2 and said second polypeptide has at least 99 percent identity to SEQ. ID. NO. 3. 
     
     
         5 . The antibody according to  claim 1 , wherein said first polypeptide is SEQ. ID. NO. 2 and said second polypeptide is SEQ. ID. NO. 3. 
     
     
         6 . An antibody, comprising:
 a heavy chain, wherein said heavy chain includes the heavy chain hypervariable regions CDR1, CDR2 and CDR3, wherein CDR1 includes at least a portion of the polypeptide according to SEQ. ID. NO. 5, CDR2 includes at least a portion of the polypeptide according to SEQ. ID. NO. 6, and CDR3 includes at least a portion of the polypeptide according to SEQ. ID. NO. 7; and   a light chain, wherein said light chain includes the light chain hypervariable regions CDR1 L , CDR2 L , and CDR3 L , wherein CDR1 L  includes at least a portion of the polypeptide according to SEQ. ID. NO. 8, CDR2 L  includes at least a portion of the polypeptide according to SEQ. ID. NO. 9 and CDR3 L  includes at least a portion of the polypeptide according to SEQ. ID. NO. 10, wherein the heavy chain and the light chain form a portion of a humanized antibody, that binds to human EMAPII.   
     
     
         7 . The humanized antibody according to  claim 6 , wherein: CDR1 is SEQ. ID. NO. 5, CDR2 is SEQ. ID. NO. 6, and CDR3 is SEQ. ID. NO. 7; CDR1 L  his SEQ. ID. NO. 8, CDR2 L  is SEQ. ID. NO. 9, and CDR3 L  is SEQ. ID. NO. 10. 
     
     
         8 . An epitope, comprising:
 an epitope of human EMAP II, wherein said epitope includes at least a portion of an isolated polypeptide according to SEQ. ID. NO. 12.   
     
     
         9 . The epitope, according to  claim 8 , wherein said isolated polypeptide has at least 95 percent homology to SEQ. ID. NO. 12. 
     
     
         10 . The epitope, according to  claim 8 , wherein said isolated polypeptide has at least 99 percent homology to SEQ. ID. NO. 12. 
     
     
         11 . The epitope, according to  claim 8 , wherein said isolated polypeptide has at least 95 percent identity to SEQ. ID. NO. 12. 
     
     
         12 . The epitope, according to  claim 8 , wherein said isolated polypeptide has at least 99 percent identity to SEQ. ID. NO. 12. 
     
     
         13 . The epitope, according to  claim 8 , wherein said isolated polypeptide is SEQ. ID. NO. 12. 
     
     
         14 . The epitope, according to  claim 8 , wherein said isolated polypeptide has at least 95 percent identity to SEQ. ID. NO. 11. 
     
     
         15 . The epitope, according to  claim 8 , wherein said isolated polypeptide has at least 99 percent identity to SEQ. ID. NO. 11. 
     
     
         16 . The epitope, according to  claim 8 , wherein said isolated polypeptide is SEQ. ID. NO. 11. 
     
     
         17 . A method of making an antibody, comprising the steps of:
 producing a synthetic polypeptide wherein at least one portion of the synthetic polypeptide includes at least a portion of the polypeptide according to SEQ. ID. NO. 12.   
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 17 , wherein said at least one portion of the synthetic polypeptide has at least 95 percent homology to SEQ. ID. NO. 12. 
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 17 , wherein said at least one portion of the synthetic polypeptide has at least 99 percent homology to SEQ. ID. NO. 12. 
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 17 , wherein said at least one portion of the synthetic polypeptide has at least 95 percent identity to SEQ. ID. NO. 12. 
     
     
         21 - 29 . (canceled)