Rapid Generation of Human Therapuetic Antibodies Against Influenza

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Using a method of retroviral gene transduction we have been able to generate conditionally immortalized long-term hematopoietic stem cell lines from mouse bone marrow stem cells, fetal cord blood and adult bone marrow s tem cells. Phase I of this project includes testing existing mouse antibodies against Influenza for their ability to neutralize pathogenic strains of Influenza and adapting this technology to generate human antibodies against Influenza in a mouse model usi ng human adult stem cells. Phase II of the project will involve optimizing large-scale production and testing of human anti-influenza antibodies. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: This project seeks to optimize a novel method to rapidly generate human therapeutic a ntibodies against the Influenza virus in a mouse model using human adult stem cell lines. Once this method has been validated for Influenza, the long-term goal to benefit public health will be to use this system to generate antibodies for clinical applicat ions in a variety of global health issues including, but not limited to, HIV-1, tuberculosis and malaria.