Patent ID: 6992234
Filing Date: 2006-01-31
Classification: A01K,A61K,C07K,C12N

Abstract:
1. A method to identify or characterize an inhibitor of IgG protection by human FcRn (huFcRn) comprising: a) providing a first and a second transgenic mouse whose genome comprises a homozygous disruption in its endogenous FcRn gene, and whose genome further comprises a DNA sequence encoding a human FcRn operably linked to a regulatory sequence, wherein said homozygous disruption prevents the expression of a functional endogenous FcRn protein, and wherein the mouse expresses a functional human FcRn protein (a muFcRn−/−, +huFcRn transgenic mouse); b) administering intravenously or intraperitoneally tracer human IgG and tracer human IgA to the first and the second transgenic mouse; c) administering intravenously or intraperitoneally a candidate inhibitor to the first transgenic mouse; and d) determining the half-life of the tracer human IgG and the half-life of the tracer human IgA in the first transgenic mouse which has received the candidate inhibitor and in the second transgenic mouse which has not received the candidate inhibitor, with a decrease in the half-life of the tracer human IgG, but not the tracer human IgA, in the first transgenic mouse, as compared to the half life of the tracer human IgG and the tracer human IgA respectively in the second transgenic mouse, being an indication that the candidate inhibitor inhibits FcRn protection of IgG.