Rapid discovery and optimization of therapeutic antibodies against emerging infectious diseases

Rogers, J.; Schoepp, R.J.; Schröder, O.; Clements, T.L.; Holland, T.F.; Li, J.Q.; Li, J.; Lewis, L.M.; Dirmeier, R.P.; Frey, G.J.; Tan, X.; Wong, K.; Woodnutt, G.; Keller, M.; Reed, D.S.; Kimmel, B.E.; Tozer, E.C.

Given the likelihood of additional emerging pathogens as well as the risk of bioterrorism, it is necessary to have effective tools to fight these biological threats. Using the DNA display method for discovery, the timeline for identification of novel specific antibodies is rapid, especially if immunization of mice is not required. The screen itself requires $1.5 days per round and together with the initial construction of the antibody library and confirmation of candidate hits in the ELISAs, discovery of new antibodies can be accomplished within approximately three weeks. If optimization of the antibody is necessary, both the GSSM TM and HuFR TM technology require 10-12 weeks each from the initial construction of the library to the confirmed hits. Thus, once a causative agent of a new pathogen is identified, this collection of technologies provides a complete solution for the production of therapeutic antibodies.