
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, April 28, 1994                   TAG: 9404280239
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL                    PAGE: A5   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

HUMAN ANTIBODIES MADE IN MICE

In a development that could lead to major improvements in the treatment of autoimmune diseases, cancer, AIDS and organ rejection, two California companies report they have been able to genetically engineer mice to produce human antibodies.

Mouse cells that produce these antibodies then can be grown in laboratory vats to produce large amounts of so-called monoclonal antibodies. When given to patients, these antibodies can attack and destroy diseased cells. Monoclonal antibodies have shown great promise in treating many diseases, but they have a major drawback: Existing monoclonals have all been produced in mice or other rodents, and the body quickly develops an immune reaction to them, limiting their use to one or two treatments.

The human antibodies, whose development is reported today in the British journals Nature and Nature Genetics, should not provoke such an immune response, thus allowing long-term therapy with the biotechnology drugs.

Although the two companies still have more studies to conduct in animals, they predict that trials in humans could begin as early as next year, probably for use in transplants and autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis.

- Los Angeles Times

by CNB