Ex vivo antibody production

Abstract

The present invention provides means and methods for producing improved ex vivo B cell cultures with a short doubling time.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A method for obtaining an ex vivo B cell culture comprising:
 inducing, enhancing and/or maintaining expression of Bcl-6, or a rabbit homologue thereof, in a B-cell and   inducing, enhancing and/or maintaining expression of at least one anti-apoptotic nucleic acid molecule in said B-cell,   wherein said B cell is a rabbit B cell; and   wherein said ex vivo B cell culture has a mean doubling time of 20 hours or less.   
     
     
         3 . A method for increasing the replicative life span of a rabbit B cell, comprising:
 inducing, enhancing and/or maintaining expression of Bcl-6, or a rabbit homologue thereof, in a rabbit B-cell and   inducing, enhancing and/or maintaining expression of at least one anti-apoptotic nucleic acid in said B-cell,   wherein said rabbit B cell is provided with:
 a nucleic acid molecule encoding Bcl-6, or 
 a rabbit homologue of said nucleic acid molecule encoding Bcl-6, or 
 a functional part or a functional derivative thereof, and/or 
 with at least one anti-apoptotic nucleic acid molecule, via transduction with a gene delivery vehicle that comprises:
 at least a functional part of the extracellular domain of a gibbon ape leukemia virus (GALV) envelope protein or 
 a protein that has at least 70% sequence identity with at least a functional part of the extracellular domain of a GALV envelope protein. 
 
   
     
     
         4 . A method of introducing a nucleic acid molecule of interest into a rabbit B cell comprising:
 transduction of said rabbit B cell with a gene delivery vehicle comprising:   at least a functional part of the extracellular domain of a gibbon ape leukemia virus (GALV) envelope protein, or   a protein that has at least 70% sequence identity with at least a functional part of the extracellular domain of a GALV envelope protein.   
     
     
         5 . A method for obtaining antibodies, comprising:
 inducing, enhancing and/or maintaining expression of Bcl-6, or a rabbit homologue thereof, in a rabbit B-cell;   inducing, enhancing and/or maintaining expression of at least one anti-apoptotic nucleic acid molecule in said B-cell;   culturing said B cell ex vivo; and   harvesting antibodies produced by said B cell within 7-14 days.   
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein said rabbit B cell is provided with:
 a nucleic acid molecule encoding a non-rabbit Bcl-6 or a functional part or a functional derivative thereof, and/or   at least one non-rabbit anti-apoptotic nucleic acid molecule.   
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 6 , wherein said non-rabbit nucleic acid molecule is a human nucleic acid molecule. 
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 2 , said at least one anti-apoptotic nucleic acid molecule comprising a gene of the Bcl2 family, selected from the group consisting of Bcl-xL, Mcl-1, Bcl-2, A1, Bcl-w, Bcl2L10, and rabbit homologues thereof and functional parts thereof and functional derivatives thereof. 
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 2 , further comprising: inducing, enhancing and/or maintaining expression of Blimp-1, or a rabbit homologue thereof, in said rabbit B-cell. 
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 2 , further comprising providing said rabbit B cell with IL21 and CD40L. 
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 10 , wherein said IL21 is mouse or human IL21 and/or wherein said CD40L is mouse or human CD40L. 
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 2 , comprising:
 providing said rabbit B cell with a compound capable of directly or indirectly enhancing expression of Bcl-6, or expression of a rabbit homologue thereof; and/or   culturing said rabbit B cell in the presence of a compound capable of directly or indirectly enhancing expression of Bcl-6, or expression of a rabbit homologue thereof.   
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 2 , comprising:
 providing said rabbit B cell with at least one compound capable of directly or indirectly enhancing expression of Bcl-xL and/or Mcl-1 and/or Bcl-2 and/or A1 and/or Bcl-w and/or Bcl2L10 and/or or a rabbit homologue thereof; and/or   culturing said rabbit B cell in the presence of at least one compound capable of directly or indirectly enhancing expression of Bcl-xL and/or Mcl-1 and/or Bcl-2 and/or A1 and/or Bcl-w and/or Bcl2L10 and/or or a rabbit homologue thereof.   
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 2 , further comprising:
 providing said rabbit B cell with at least one compound capable of directly or indirectly increasing expression of Blimp-1, or expression of a rabbit homologue of Blimp-1; and/or   culturing said rabbit B cell in the presence of at least one compound capable of directly or indirectly increasing expression of Blimp-1, or expression of a rabbit homologue of Blimp-1.   
     
     
         15 . An isolated or recombinant rabbit B cell: wherein said cell is bound to at least a functional part of the extracellular domain of a gibbon ape leukemia virus (GALV) envelope protein, or to a protein that has at least 70% sequence identity with at least a functional part of the extracellular domain of a GALV envelope protein. 
     
     
         16 . The rabbit B cell according to  claim 15 , wherein said cell is bound via at least a functional part of the extracellular domain of a GALV envelope protein, or via a protein that has at least 70% sequence identity with at least a functional part of the extracellular domain of a GALV envelope protein, to a gene delivery vehicle comprising a nucleic acid sequence encoding Bcl-6, or a rabbit homologue thereof, or a functional part or a functional derivative thereof, and/or an anti-apoptotic nucleic acid sequence. 
     
     
         17 . The rabbit B cell according to  claim 16 , wherein said anti-apoptotic nucleic acid sequence is a nucleic acid sequence encoding a protein selected from the group consisting of Bcl-6, Bcl-xL, Mcl-1, Bcl-2, A1, Bcl-w, Bcl2L10, a rabbit homologue thereof, a functional part thereof, a functional derivative thereof, and any combination thereof. 
     
     
         18 . An isolated or recombinant rabbit B cell comprising:
 a non-rabbit anti-apoptotic nucleic acid molecule, encoding Bcl-xL, Mcl, Bcl-2, A1, Bcl-w, Bcl2L10 or a functional part or a functional derivative thereof, and a non-rabbit nucleic acid molecule encoding Bcl-6 or a functional part or a functional derivative thereof.   
     
     
         19 . The rabbit B cell according to  claim 18 , wherein said non-rabbit nucleic acid sequence is a human nucleic acid sequence. 
     
     
         20 . An ex vivo rabbit B cell culture, wherein said ex vivo rabbit B cell culture has a mean doubling time of 20 hours or less. 
     
     
         21 . The ex vivo rabbit B cell culture comprising rabbit B cells according to  claim 18 . 
     
     
         22 . An ex vivo rabbit B cell culture when obtained by a method of  claim 2 . 
     
     
         23 . An antibody obtained by a method according to  claim 2 . 
     
     
         24 . An antibody produced by a rabbit B cell according to  claim 18 . 
     
     
         25 . (canceled) 
     
     
         26 . The method according to  claim 3 , wherein said extracellular domain is of an envelope protein of GALV strain SEATO. 
     
     
         27 . The method according to  claim 3 , said gene delivery vehicle comprising a chimeric envelope protein, or a protein comprising a chimeric envelope protein, or a protein that has at least 70% sequence identity with a chimeric envelope protein.