Patent ID: 9487583
Filing Date: 2016-11-08
CPC Classification: C07K,C12N

Claim Text:
1. A method for selecting a plasma cell(s) and/or plasmablast(s) that specifically bind to a target antigen, comprising: either collecting lymph fluid, lymphoid tissue, blood cell sample, or bone marrow derived cells from a nonhuman animal, and sensitizing the lymphocytes, lymphoid tissue, blood cell sample, or bone marrow derived cells in vitro to the target antigen, or immunizing a nonhuman animal to the target antigen, and collecting lymph fluid, lymphoid tissue, blood cell sample, or bone marrow derived cells from the nonhuman animal once immunization has been established; mixing the sensitized or collected lymph fluid, lymphoid tissue, blood cell sample, or bone marrow derived cells with (1) a fluorescently-labeled target antigen through a membrane-bound antibody on the cell(s) and (2) a marker that selectively binds to plasma cells and/or plasmablasts; and selecting a cell(s) to which (1) the fluorescently-labeled target antigen and (2) the marker have bound; wherein the marker that selectively binds to plasma cells and/or plasmablasts is a fluorescent probe for staining identifying or isolating plasma cells and/or plasmablasts, wherein the staining selectivity for an endoplasmic reticulum in cells is higher than the staining selectivity for cell organelles other than an endoplasmic reticulum, and with the staining of the fluorescent probe, plasma cells and plasmablasts are distinguishable from cells other than plasma cells and plasmablasts.