Patent Description:
Regarding a sugar chain of prostate-specific antigen (PSA), which is a known marker for prostate cancer, it is known that a double-stranded N-type sugar chain in which sialic acid is bonded to galactose by an α2,<NUM> bond at the terminal and an N-type sugar chain in which sialic acid at the terminal is bonded to galactose by an α2,<NUM> bond are present, and that the number of sugar chains that are bonded to galactose by the α2,<NUM> bond increases in association with canceration as compared with the α2,<NUM> bond (Non-Patent Document <NUM>). Accordingly, the detection of a sugar chain in which a terminal sialic acid residue is bonded to galactose by an α2,<NUM> bond is useful for detecting prostate cancer.

Maackia amurensis Agglutinin (MAA) is a known probe capable of detecting a sugar chain in which a terminal sialic acid residue is bonded to galactose by an α2,<NUM> bond, and it is used as a probe for detecting a sugar chain containing sialic acid (Patent Document <NUM>). In addition, a mouse monoclonal antibody that recognizes a sugar chain in which a terminal sialic acid residue is bonded to galactose by an α2,<NUM> bond has been reported where a glycolipid having a sugar chain in which a terminal sialic acid residue is bonded to galactose by an α2,<NUM> bond is used as an immunogen (Patent Document <NUM>).

However, since Maackia amurensis Agglutinin is a natural product derived from a plant as a raw material and the binding property thereof changes depending on the lot of the product, the clinical application of a tumor biomarker using this as a probe is difficult. Although the development of recombinant lectins is underway, they have not yet been put into practical use.

In addition, an antibody that recognizes, with higher sensitivity, a sugar chain in which a terminal sialic acid residue is bonded to galactose by an α2,<NUM> bond is required for the detection of cancerous PSA.

The present invention has been made in consideration of the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide a monoclonal antibody having a high binding property to a sugar chain in which a terminal sialic acid residue is bonded to galactose by an α2,<NUM> bond.

The inventors of the present invention found that a monoclonal antibody obtained by immunizing a rabbit with Siaα2-3Galβ1-4GlcNAc-BSA as an immunogen, isolating an obtained positive rabbit B cell, obtaining an antibody gene by single cell PCR, and introducing the antibody gene into a host cell binds to, with a high binding property, a sugar chain in which a terminal sialic acid residue is bonded to galactose by an α2,<NUM> bond, and is not dissociated from the sugar chain after the binding to the sugar chain in which the terminal sialic acid residue is bonded to the galactose by the α2,<NUM> bond, whereby the present invention was completed.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a monoclonal antibody having a high binding property to a sugar chain (hereinafter, also referred to as an α2,<NUM> sugar chain) in which a terminal sialic acid residue is bonded to galactose by an α2,<NUM> bond.

Hereinafter, embodiments according to the present invention will be described in detail.

In the present specification, the "antibody" in the present specification refers to a full-length immunoglobulin molecule that exists in nature or is produced by genetic recombination technology, and the "antibody fragment" refers to an antigen-binding fragment of such an immunoglobulin molecule. Such an antibody and antibody fragment can be prepared using a conventional technology. Examples of the antibody fragment include F(ab')<NUM>, F(ab)<NUM>, Fab', Fab, Fv, scFv, variants thereof, a fusion protein or peptide including an antibody portion, and a modified structure other than an immunoglobulin molecule including an α2,<NUM> sugar chain-binding site.

In the present invention, the description that an antibody "specifically binds" means that the antibody substantially does not bind to a sugar chain that is different from the sugar chain in which a terminal sialic acid residue is bonded to galactose by an α2,<NUM> bond but binds to an α2,<NUM> sugar chain. Further, in the present specification, the "α2,<NUM> sugar chain" is also referred to as "Siaα2-3Galβ1-4GlcNAc".

In the present invention, the "monoclonal antibody" means an antibody obtained from a substantially homogeneous population, and an individual antibody contained in the population is identical except for possible natural mutants that may be present. The monoclonal antibody is an antibody exhibiting one binding specificity and affinity for a specific epitope of an antigen. The modifier "monoclonal" indicates the properties of the antibody obtained from a substantially homogeneous antibody population, and it is not to be construed as being limited by requiring production of the antibody by a specific method.

The "heavy chain" of an antibody, used in the present specification, refers to a larger one of the two types of polypeptide chains present in all antibody molecules in a conformation present in nature. The "light chain" of an antibody used in the present specification refers to a smaller one of the two types of polypeptide chains present in all antibody molecules in a conformation present in nature.

Here, the complementarity-determining region (CDR) is composed of a heavy chain complementarity-determining region and a light chain complementarity-determining region. Each of the variable regions of the heavy chain and the light chain consists of three CDRs and four framework regions (FRs) connected by the CDRs. The CDRs in each chain are held in the vicinity by the FRs, and contribute to the formation of an antigen-binding site of the antibody, together with the CDRs in other chains.

Technologies for determining CDRs include, but are not limited to, (<NUM>) an approach based on heterologous sequence variability (for example, <NPL>); and (<NUM>) an approach based on crystallographic studies of the antigen-antibody complex (<NPL>), for example. These and other approaches may be used in combination.

The monoclonal antibody or the antibody fragment thereof according to the present invention is a monoclonal antibody or an antibody fragment thereof which specifically binds to an α2,<NUM> sugar chain and is not dissociated from the sugar chain after the binding to the α2,<NUM> sugar chain. Hereinafter, the monoclonal antibody according to the present invention is also referred to as an anti-α2,<NUM> sugar chain monoclonal antibody.

The anti-α2,<NUM> sugar chain monoclonal antibody according to the present invention may be a human antibody or may be a non-human animal antibody. Examples of the non-human animal include a mouse, a rat, a hamster, a rabbit, a goat, a sheep, and a chicken, where a rabbit monoclonal antibody is preferable since it has a high binding property to an antigen.

The anti-α2,<NUM> sugar chain monoclonal antibody or the antibody fragment thereof according to the present invention is preferably a monoclonal antibody or an antibody fragment thereof which does not bind to an α2,<NUM> sugar chain.

The binding property of the anti-α2,<NUM> sugar chain monoclonal antibody or the antibody fragment thereof according to the present invention to an antigen such as an α2,<NUM> sugar chain or an α2,<NUM> sugar chain can be indicated by a dissociation constant (a KD value). The unit of KD is M, and the higher the binding property, the lower the KD value.

The KD value of the anti-α2,<NUM> sugar chain monoclonal antibody or the antibody fragment thereof according to the present invention with the α2,<NUM> sugar chain is preferably <NUM> × <NUM>-<NUM> or less, more preferably <NUM> × <NUM>-<NUM> or less, still more preferably <NUM> × <NUM>-<NUM> or less, and particularly preferably <NUM> × <NUM>-<NUM> or less.

The KD value can be calculated using, for example, a biosensor on which a sugar chain acting as an antigen is immobilized. Specifically, a sugar chain acting as an antigen is immobilized on a biosensor and immersed in an antibody solution to allow the antibody to bind to the antigen immobilized on the biosensor. Then, the biosensor is immersed in a buffer solution such as phosphate-buffered saline (PBS), the change in the wavelength shift Δλ caused by the change in the number of antibodies bound to the biosensor or the number of antibodies dissociated from the biosensor is measured, and then the KD value can be calculated from the sensorgram obtained when the concentration of the antibody is changed.

The anti-α2,<NUM> sugar chain monoclonal antibody or the antibody fragment thereof according to the present invention is not dissociated from the sugar chain after binding to the sugar chain in which the terminal sialic acid residue is bonded to the galactose by the α2,<NUM> bond. The fact that the anti-α2,<NUM> sugar chain monoclonal antibody or the antibody fragment thereof according to the present invention is not dissociated from the sugar chain after the binding to the α2,<NUM> sugar chain can be confirmed by the above-described biosensor. Specifically, the monoclonal antibody or the antibody fragment thereof according to the present invention is bound to an α2,<NUM> sugar chain immobilized on a biosensor, and then the biosensor is immersed in a buffer solution containing no α2,<NUM> sugar chain to obtain a reaction profile showing the binding to and dissociation from the α2,<NUM> sugar chain, from which the above fact can be confirmed. In a case where the anti-α2,<NUM> sugar chain monoclonal antibody or the antibody fragment thereof according to the present invention is bound to the α2,<NUM> sugar chain immobilized on the biosensor, it is not dissociated from the α2,<NUM> sugar chain immobilized on the biosensor even in a case of being immersed in a buffer solution containing no α2,<NUM> sugar chain. On the other hand, even in a case where the anti-α2,<NUM> sugar chain monoclonal antibody or the antibody fragment thereof according to the present invention is bound to a sugar chain other than the α2,<NUM> sugar chain immobilized on the biosensor, for example, an α2,<NUM> sugar chain, it is rapidly dissociated from the α2,<NUM> sugar chain immobilized on the biosensor in a case of being immersed in a buffer solution containing no α2,<NUM> sugar chain. Accordingly, even in a case where the α2,<NUM> sugar chain is bound to the anti-α2,<NUM> sugar chain monoclonal antibody or the antibody fragment thereof according to the present invention, it is replaced with the α2,<NUM> sugar chain in a case where the α2,<NUM> sugar chain is present. As a result, the anti-α2,<NUM> sugar chain monoclonal antibody or the antibody fragment thereof according to the present invention has high specificity to the α2,<NUM> sugar chain even in a case where the KD value with the α2,<NUM> sugar chain is high and the KD value with the α2,<NUM> sugar chain is low.

The anti-α2,<NUM> sugar chain monoclonal antibody or the antibody fragment thereof according to the present invention is preferably a monoclonal antibody or an antibody fragment thereof which does not bind to a galactose-bonded sugar chain or hardly binds to a galactose-bonded sugar chain. Here, examples of the monoclonal antibody or the antibody fragment thereof which hardly binds to a galactose-bonded sugar chain include a monoclonal antibody or an antibody fragment thereof which has a dissociation constant (a KD value) with the galactose-bonded sugar chain of <NUM> × <NUM>-<NUM> or more.

The anti-α2,<NUM> sugar chain monoclonal antibody or the antibody fragment thereof according to the present invention can be produced by using a known method. Specifically, first, a conjugate of an α2,<NUM> sugar chain and a carrier protein is used as an immunogen to immunize a non-human animal, the binding property to an antigen is checked by ELISA for lymphocytes of the immunized non-human animal, and then a lymphocyte having a high binding property to the α2,<NUM> sugar chain is selected. Examples of the non-human animal to be immunized include a mouse, a rat, a hamster, a rabbit, a goat, sheep, and a chicken. Next, the antibody gene is obtained from the selected lymphocyte by the single cell PCR method and amplified by the PCR method. For the PCR amplification product, the binding property to the antigen is confirmed by ELISA. A PCR amplification product having a high binding property to the α2,<NUM> sugar chain is transfected into cells such as human embryonic kidney cells <NUM>, the culture supernatant containing the secreted antibody is recovered, and the binding property of the recovered sample to the antigen is confirmed by ELISA, thereby obtaining a clone having a high binding property to the α2,<NUM> sugar chain. The antibody gene is obtained from the obtained clone and inserted into a vector to obtain an antibody-producing cell. The obtained antibody-producing cell is cultured to generate and accumulate the anti-α2,<NUM> sugar chain monoclonal antibody or the antibody fragment thereof according to the present invention, and the anti-α2,<NUM> sugar chain monoclonal antibody or the antibody fragment thereof according to the present invention can be produced from the culture.

An anti-α2,<NUM> sugar chain monoclonal antibody or the antibody fragment thereof according to the present invention includes the anti-α2,<NUM> sugar chain monoclonal antibody No. <NUM> (hereinafter, also referred to as a No. <NUM> antibody) or an antibody fragment thereof which includes an amino acid sequence of CDR1 of VH including an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: <NUM>, an amino acid sequence of CDR2 of the VH including an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: <NUM>, an amino acid sequence of CDR3 of VH including an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: <NUM>, an amino acid sequence of CDR1 of VL including an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: <NUM>, an amino acid sequence of CDR2 of VL including an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: <NUM>, and an amino acid sequence of CDR3 of VL including an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: <NUM>, and includes VH including an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: <NUM> and VL including an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: <NUM>.

An anti-α2,<NUM> sugar chain monoclonal antibody or the antibody fragment thereof according to the present invention also includes the anti-α2,<NUM> sugar chain monoclonal antibody No. <NUM> (hereinafter, also referred to as a No. <NUM> antibody) or an antibody fragment thereof which includes an amino acid sequence of CDR1 of VH including an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: <NUM>, an amino acid sequence of CDR2 of the VH including an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: <NUM>, an amino acid sequence of CDR3 of VH including an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: <NUM>, an amino acid sequence of CDR1 of VL including an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: <NUM>, an amino acid sequence of CDR2 of VL including an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: <NUM>, and an amino acid sequence of CDR3 of VL including an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: <NUM>, and includes VH including an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: <NUM> and VL including an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: <NUM>.

The amino acid sequences set forth in SEQ ID NO: <NUM> to SEQ ID NO:<NUM> are shown in Table <NUM>.

The amino acid sequences set forth in SEQ ID NO: <NUM> to SEQ ID NO: <NUM> are shown in Table <NUM>.

The anti-α2,<NUM> sugar chain monoclonal antibody according to the present invention or an antibody fragment thereof which includes CDR1 to CDR3 of VH and CDR1 to CDR3 of VL can be produced by using a known genetic recombination technology. Specifically, it is possible to produce this antibody or the antibody fragment thereof by incorporating each of the genes encoding CDR1 to CDR3 of VH and CDR1 to CDR3 of VL into a vector including each of the FR of the antibody and the gene encoding the constant region of the antibody, introducing this into a host cell, and transforming the host cell to obtain a cell expressing the antibody, and culturing the cell. The cell used in the preparation, the kind of the vector, the kind of the cell, the culture conditions, and the like are within the technical range of those skilled in the art, and appropriate conditions can be appropriately set.

The number of amino acids to be deleted, substituted, inserted, and/or added is one or more, and the number thereof is not particularly limited; however, it is such a number that deletion, substitution, or addition can be carried out by a well-known technique such as a site-specific mutagenesis method [<NPL>), <NPL>), <NPL>), <NPL>), <NPL>), <NPL>), <NPL>)]. For example, it is preferably <NUM> to several tens of amino acids, more preferably <NUM> to <NUM> amino acids, still more preferably <NUM> to <NUM> amino acids, and particularly preferably <NUM> to <NUM> amino acids.

The measurement method for an α2,<NUM> sugar chain disclosed herein is a measurement method for an α2,<NUM> sugar chain, using the anti-α2,<NUM> sugar chain monoclonal antibody or the antibody fragment thereof according to the present invention. Examples of the measurement method for an α2,<NUM> sugar chain, using the anti-α2,<NUM> sugar chain monoclonal antibody or the antibody fragment thereof according to the present invention include an immunological measurement method for an α2,<NUM> sugar chain in a specimen in which an α2,<NUM> sugar chain in a specimen is reacted with the anti-α2,<NUM> sugar chain monoclonal antibody or the antibody fragment thereof according to the present invention, a labeled antibody or a labeled antibody fragment, having a label bound to the anti-α2,<NUM> sugar chain monoclonal antibody or the antibody fragment thereof is subsequently added to generate an immune complex consisting of the α2,<NUM> sugar chain, the anti-α2,<NUM> sugar chain monoclonal antibody or the antibody fragment thereof, and the labeled antibody or the labeled antibody fragment, and the amount of the label in the generated immune complex is measured.

In the measurement method using the anti-α2,<NUM> sugar chain monoclonal antibody or the antibody fragment thereof according to the present invention, examples of the specimen include blood such as serum, plasma or whole blood, lymphatic fluid, tissue fluid, cerebrospinal fluid, body cavity fluid, digestive juice, nasal secretions, tears, sweat, and urine of animals including a human. Furthermore, the specimen may be the specimen itself collected from a subject, or a product obtained by subjecting the collected specimen to treatments such as dilution and concentration, which are usually carried out. In addition, the specimen may be a specimen collected or prepared at the time of carrying out the measurement method or may be a specimen collected or prepared in advance and stored.

The immunological measurement method can be classified into an enzyme immunoassay (EIA or ELISA), a radioimmunoassay (RIA), a fluorescence immunoassay (FIA), a fluorescence polarization immunoassay (FPIA), a chemiluminescence immunoassay (CLIA), electrochemiluminescence immunoassay, or the like depending on the label of the labeled detection antibody, and any one of these can be used in the measurement method described herein. However, ELISA is preferable since it is possible to conveniently and quickly measure the detection subject.

The α2,<NUM> sugar chain in the specimen can be measured by washing the immune complex and then measuring the label in the immune complex. For example, in a case of ELISA, the α2,<NUM> sugar chain in the specimen can be measured by reacting an enzyme, which is a label, with a substrate of the enzyme and measuring the absorbance of a colored product (a sandwich method). Furthermore, the α2,<NUM> sugar chain in the specimen can also be measured by reacting the anti-α2,<NUM> sugar chain monoclonal antibody or the antibody fragment thereof according to the present invention immobilized on a solid support with the α2,<NUM> sugar chain in the specimen, subsequently adding an unlabeled anti-α2,<NUM> sugar chain monoclonal antibody or an antibody fragment thereof (a primary antibody), further adding a labeled secondary antibody obtained by labeling an antibody (a secondary antibody) against this unlabeled sugar chain antibody or the antibody fragment thereof with enzyme, and measuring the label of the secondary antibody. In addition, the α2,<NUM> sugar chain in the specimen can be measured by labeling the secondary antibody with biotin, allowing avidin or streptavidin labeled with an enzyme or the like to bind to biotin, labeling the secondary antibody with an enzyme and the like, and measuring the label of the secondary antibody.

The α2,<NUM> sugar chain in the specimen can also be measured by adding an unlabeled anti-α2,<NUM> sugar chain monoclonal antibody or an antibody fragment thereof (a primary antibody) to an α2,<NUM> sugar chain or a conjugate of an α2,<NUM> sugar chain and a protein such as BSA immobilized on a solid support to generate an immune complex consisting of the α2,<NUM> sugar chain and the primary antibody on the solid support, adding the specimen, further adding a labeled secondary antibody obtained by labeling an antibody (a secondary antibody) against this unlabeled antibody, and measuring the label of the labeled secondary antibody (a competitive method).

The solid support is not particularly limited as long as the solid support can reliably hold an antibody or an antibody fragment. Examples of the preferred material of the solid support include polymer materials such as polystyrene, polycarbonate, polyvinyl toluene, polypropylene, polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, nylon, polymethacrylate, gelatin, agarose, cellulose, nitrocellulose, cellulose acetate, acetyl cellulose, and polyethylene terephthalate, glass, ceramics, magnetic particles, metal. Examples of the preferred shape of the solid support include fine particles such as a tube, a bead, a plate, and latex, sticks.

As the label, it is possible to use an enzyme such as peroxidase and alkaline phosphatase in ELISA, a radioactive substance such as <NUM>I, <NUM>I, <NUM>S, and <NUM>H in the RIA method, and a fluorescent substance such as fluorescein isothiocyanate, rhodamine, dansyl chloride, phycoerythrin, tetramethyl rhodamine isothiocyanate, and a near-infrared fluorescent material in the FPIA method, an enzyme such as luciferase and β-galactosidase and a luminescent substrate that is converted into a luminescent substance by each enzyme, and a luminescent substance such as luciferin and aequorin in the CLIA method. In addition, nanoparticles such as colloidal gold and quantum dots can be used as labels.

In ELISA, as the substrate of the enzyme which serves as a label, in a case where the enzyme is peroxidase, <NUM>,<NUM>'-diaminobenzidine (DAB), <NUM>,<NUM>',<NUM>,<NUM>'-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB), O-phenylenediamine (OPD), and the like can be used, and in a case where the enzyme is alkaline phosphatase, p-nitrophenyl phosphate (pNPP) and the like can be used.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to Examples.

A rabbit (slc: JW/CSK, <NUM> weeks old) was immunized using Siaα2-3Galβ1-4GlcNAc-BSA as an immunogen, and for the obtained rabbit B cells, a test of binding the cell (a single cell) to Siaα2-3Galβ1-4GlcNAc was carried out by an ELISA, and <NUM> positive clones were selected. Antibody genes were obtained from the selected positive clones by single cell PCR. Each of the obtained antibody gene sequences was transfected into human embryonic kidney cells <NUM>, and the recombinant rabbit antibody secreted into the culture supernatant was subjected to the following ELISA to check the binding property to the α2,<NUM> sugar chain and the α2,<NUM> sugar chain, thereby obtaining two antibodies (Nos. <NUM> and <NUM>) having a high binding property to the α2,<NUM> sugar chain and a low binding property to the α2,<NUM> sugar chain. <FIG> shows the results of the ELISA test of these two antibodies. It is to be noted that as a control, the results of the three antibodies (Nos. <NUM>, <NUM>, and <NUM>) not selected above are also shown together.

<NUM>µl of a Siaα2,3Gal antigen BSA-MBS-peptide conjugate (BSA-MBS-sialic acid α(<NUM>,<NUM>)β1,4GlcNAc) was added to a <NUM>-well plate at <NUM>µl/ml (× <NUM>,<NUM>) and incubated at <NUM> for <NUM> hour to immobilize the antigen on the well of the plate. After washing <NUM> times with phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) containing <NUM>% Tween <NUM> (PBST), <NUM>µl of <NUM>% BSA/PBS was added thereto, and shaking was carried out overnight at <NUM> to carry out blocking. After washing <NUM> times with PBST, <NUM>µl of the culture supernatant of each clone obtained in Example <NUM> diluted <NUM>-fold was added thereto, and shaking was carried out at room temperature for <NUM> hour. After washing <NUM> times with PBST, <NUM>µl of an anti-Rabbit IgG HRP (× <NUM>,<NUM>; ab97080, manufactured by abcam, plc) was added thereto, and shaking was carried out at room temperature for <NUM> hour. After washing with PBST three times, <NUM>µl/well of a TMB substrate solution (composition: <NUM>',<NUM>'-tetramethylbenzidine, catalog number: N301, manufactured by Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc. ) was added thereto and incubated for <NUM> minutes. Next, <NUM>µl/well of <NUM> N HCl was added thereto, and the absorbance at <NUM> was measured.

The same procedure as above was carried out except that a Siaα2,6Gal antigen BSA-MBS-peptide conjugate was used instead of the Siaα2,3Gal antigen BSA-MBS-peptide conjugate, and the absorbance at <NUM> was measured.

The KD values of the No. <NUM> antibody and No. <NUM> antibody obtained in Example <NUM> were calculated as follows.

An amino reactive biosensor (AR2G; manufactured by FORTEBIO Inc. ) was subjected to hydrophilization with ultrapure water and immersed in a <NUM>µg/mL BSA-MBS-sialic acid α(<NUM>,<NUM>)β1,4GlcNAc antigen solution or a BSA-MBS-sialic acid α(<NUM>,<NUM>)β1,4GlcNAc antigen solution for <NUM> minutes to immobilize each antigen on the sensor. The sensor was immersed in an EDC-/sNHS solution (composition: mixture of <NUM>-ethyl-<NUM>-(<NUM>-dimethylaminopropyl)carbodiimide (manufactured by FORTEBIO Inc. ) and sulfo-N-hydroxysuccinimide (manufactured by FORTEBIO Inc. ) in a ratio of <NUM>:<NUM>) to carry out blocking. A BSA-MBS-β1,4GlcNAc antigen-immobilized biosensor was prepared by immersing the sensor in a sialidase solution (composition: <NUM>µL of α(<NUM> → <NUM>,<NUM>,<NUM>,<NUM>) Neuraminidase from Arthrobacter ureafaciens (N3786-1SET, manufactured by Sigma-Aldrich Co. LLC) + <NUM>µL of <NUM> an acetate buffer (pH <NUM>)) at <NUM> for <NUM> hours after blocking to release sialic acid. After washing with PBS, the biosensor was immersed in each antibody solution of <NUM> to <NUM> for <NUM> seconds under the condition of <NUM>, and the binding state of the antibody to the antigen was measured. Then, it was immersed in PBS for <NUM> seconds, and the dissociation state of the antibody from the antigen was measured. The change in the wavelength shift Δλ caused by the change in the number of antibodies bound to the biosensor or the number of antibodies dissociated from the biosensor was measured in real time to generate a reaction profile on an Octet system (manufactured by FORTEBIO Inc. KD values were calculated from the sensorgrams of binding and dissociation obtained in antibody solutions at concentrations of <NUM> to <NUM>. The calculated KD values are shown in Table <NUM>. In addition, the results of the above sensorgrams of the No. <NUM> antibody and No. <NUM> antibody are each shown in <FIG> and <FIG>.

The KD value was calculated in the same manner as in Example <NUM> except that an HYB4 antibody (manufactured by FUJIFILM Wako Pure Chemical Corporation), which is a known mouse anti-α2,<NUM> sugar chain monoclonal antibody, was used instead of the No. <NUM> antibody and the No. <NUM> antibody. The KD value of the HYB4 antibody is shown in Table <NUM>, and the results of the sensorgram of the HYB4 antibody are shown in <FIG>.

As shown in Table <NUM>, the results were such that the KD value of the No. <NUM> antibody with the α2,<NUM> sugar chain was <NUM> × <NUM>-<NUM> ± <NUM> × <NUM>-<NUM>, which was higher by <NUM> times than the dissociation constant KD value with the α2,<NUM> sugar chain of <NUM> × <NUM>-<NUM> ± <NUM> × <NUM>-<NUM>. However, it was revealed that as shown in <FIG>, the No. <NUM> antibody was rapidly dissociated from the α2,<NUM> sugar chain after binding thereto, whereas it was not dissociated from the α2,<NUM> sugar chain after once binding thereto as shown in <FIG>. Further, as shown in <FIG>, no binding to the galactose-bonded sugar chain was observed. As a result, it was revealed that in a case where the α2,<NUM> sugar chain is present, the α2,<NUM> sugar chain bound to the No. <NUM> antibody was replaced with the α2,<NUM> sugar chain, and thus the No. <NUM> antibody is an antibody having a high binding property to the α2,<NUM> sugar chain.

In addition, the results were such that the KD value of the No. <NUM> antibody with the α2,<NUM> sugar chain was <NUM> × <NUM>-<NUM> ± <NUM> × <NUM>-<NUM>, which was lower by <NUM> times than the KD value with the α2,<NUM> sugar chain of <NUM> × <NUM>-<NUM> ± <NUM> × <NUM>-<NUM>. Further, as shown in <FIG>, no binding to the galactose-bonded sugar chain was observed. Further, as shown in <FIG>, the No. <NUM> antibody was rapidly dissociated from the α2,<NUM> sugar chain after binding thereto, whereas it was not dissociated from the α2,<NUM> sugar chain after once binding thereto as shown in <FIG>. From these results, it was revealed that the No. <NUM> antibody is an antibody having a high binding property to the α2,<NUM> sugar chain.

On the other hand, the KD value of the HYB4 antibody with the α2,<NUM> sugar chain was <NUM> × <NUM>-<NUM> ± <NUM> × <NUM>-<NUM>, which was <NUM> times the KD value of the No. <NUM> antibody and <NUM> times the KD value of the No. <NUM> antibody. Further, as shown in <FIG>, the HYB4 antibody was rapidly dissociated from the α2,<NUM> sugar chain in a case where it was immersed in PBS after binding to the α2,<NUM> sugar chain.

From the above results, it was confirmed that the HYB4 antibody has a low binding property to the α2,<NUM> sugar chain as compared with the No. <NUM> antibody and the No. <NUM> antibody.

Claim 1:
A monoclonal antibody or an antibody fragment thereof,
which specifically binds to a sugar chain in which a terminal sialic acid residue is bonded to galactose by an α2,<NUM> bond, and is not dissociated from the sugar chain after the binding to the sugar chain in which the terminal sialic acid residue is bonded to the galactose by the α2,<NUM> bond,
wherein the amino acid sequence of complementarity-determining region (CDR) <NUM> of the heavy chain variable region (VH) of the antibody or the antibody fragment thereof comprises an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: <NUM>, the amino acid sequence of CDR2 of the VH comprises an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: <NUM>. the amino acid sequence of CDR3 of the VH comprises an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: <NUM>, the amino acid sequence of CDR1 of the light chain variable region (VL) comprises an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: <NUM>, the amino acid sequence of CDR2 of the VL comprises an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: <NUM>, and the amino acid sequence of CDR3 of the VL comprises an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: <NUM>, and wherein the amino acid sequence of the VH of the antibody or the antibody fragment thereof comprises an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: <NUM> and wherein the amino acid sequence of the VL of the antibody or the antibody fragment thereof comprises an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: <NUM>, or
wherein the amino acid sequence of CDR1 of the VH of the antibody or the antibody fragment thereof comprises an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: <NUM>, the amino acid sequence of CDR2 of the VH comprises an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: <NUM>, the amino acid sequence of CDR3 of the VH comprises an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: <NUM>, the amino acid sequence of CDR1 of the VL comprises an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: <NUM>, the amino acid sequence of CDR2 of the VL comprises an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: <NUM>, and the amino acid sequence of CDR3 of the VL comprises an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: <NUM>, and wherein the amino acid sequence of the VH of the antibody or the antibody fragment thereof comprises an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: <NUM> and wherein the amino acid sequence of the VL of the antibody or the antibody fragment thereof comprises an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: <NUM>.