Patent ID: 7964406

Claim:
A method for producing antibodies specifically directed towards an antigen of interest, the method comprising: providing a stem cell and/or a precursor cell of a B cell with a nucleic acid sequence which, when present and expressed in a B cell, is capable of stabilizing said B cell; providing a non-human animal with said stem cell and/or precursor cell; providing said non-human animal with said antigen of interest; allowing generation of a B cell which is capable of producing antibodies specifically directed towards said antigen of interest; obtaining said B cell; culturing said B cell ex vivo after it has been obtained from said animal; and harvesting antibodies produced by said B cell, wherein said nucleic acid sequence in an inactive state during in vivo differentiation of said stem cell and/or precursor cell into a B cell, and wherein said nucleic acid sequence is at least in part activated during the ex vivo culturing of the B cell, thereby stabilizing the B cell.