Monoclonal Antibodies Against Bordetella pertussis Filamentous Hemagglutinin (FHA) Protein
Description of Invention:
Filamentous hemagglutinin (FHA) is one of the major adhesion molecules of Bordetella pertussis, a bacterial infection that causes whopping cough. Once thought to be primarily a childhood disease, B. pertussis infection shows an increasing incidence among adults as well as infants. Recent CDC reports show an almost 19-fold increase in the number of cases among 10-19 year olds and an almost 16-fold increase among those 20 and older. These data underscore the need for a new generation of vaccines and detailed studies focused on the pathways of B. pertussis infectivity.
Available for licensing are three hybridoma cell lines capable of expressing monoclonal antibodies against FHA. ELISA and Western blot analyses have shown that these antibodies, map to specific epitopes, can successfully bind to FHA as well as prevent binding of the purified FHA to various cells. The additional studies showed that one antibody was able to prevent the adhesion of B. pertussis to epithelial cell monolayers. These findings show that monoclonal antibodies expressed in featured hybridoma cell lines can be successfully used for studies of infectivity mechanisms as well as development of new diagnostics and acellular vaccines against B. pertussis.
For Additional Information Please Contact: Susan Ano Ph.D.
NIH Office of Technology Transfer
6011 Executive Blvd, Suite 325
Rockville, MD 20852-3804
Phone: (301) 435-5515
Email: anos@mail.nih.gov
Fax: (301) 402-0220
