Award details

Production of diagnostic and therapeutic antibodies in plants by molecular farming

Reference	BBS/E/J/00001118
Principal Investigator / Supervisor	Dr Paul Christou
Co-Investigators / Co-Supervisors
Institution	John Innes Centre
Department	John Innes Centre Department
Funding type	Research
Value (£)	97,350
Status	Completed
Type	Institute Project
Start date	01/10/1997
End date	30/09/2001
Duration	48 months

Abstract

Antibody production in transgenic legumes: Plants have been exploited as sources of useful molecules for many years, but transgenic technology now allows plants to be used as bioreactors to produce foreign or customised molecules. Our research interest is the production of recombinant antibodies in legumes. Antibodies can be exploited for therapeutic and diagnostic purposes by conjugating other molecules (e.g. fluorescent probes) to the antibody. Traditional methods for antibody production involve animals or hybridoma cell lines, and are labour-intensive. Furthermore, the antibodies may be contaminated with viruses and endotoxins, and the removal of such contaminants adds significantly to production costs. The production of antibodies in legumes by transforming them with antibody-encoding genes could provide a cost-effective, renewable and safer alternative. We are working with two antibodies: T84.66 which bind specifically to a tumor protein, and Guy's 13 which binds to a surface glycoprotein of Streptococcus mutans, the bacterium responsible for tooth decay. We are working in the optimisation of the production of these antibodies in pea plants. The first studies show that T84.66 antibody produced in pea is biologically active and stable in the seeds.

Summary

unavailable

Committee	Closed Committee - Plant & Microbial Sciences (PMS)
Research Topics	X – not assigned to a current Research Topic
Research Priority	X – Research Priority information not available
Research Initiative	X - not in an Initiative
Funding Scheme	X – not Funded via a specific Funding Scheme

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