title: Efficacy of plant-produced recombinant antibodies against HCG.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Antibody engineering facilitates the construction of different antibody formats [single chain variable fragment (scFv), diabody, full-size chimeric monoclonal antibody] with ease.
  
  
  METHODS
  We constructed recombinant antibodies against HCG, which is widely used in pregnancy testing and is also produced by a number of cancers.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The recombinant antibodies were transiently expressed in tobacco leaves to levels of up to 40 mg of pure protein per kg fresh leaf weight. Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and electrophoretic mobility assay (EMSA) confirmed antibody specificity for the beta subunit of beta-HCG. The efficacy was confirmed by inhibiting HCG induced testosterone production by Leydig cells in vitro and by blocking the HCG induced increase in mouse uterine weight in vivo.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Passive immunization with recombinant HCG-specific antibodies may have clinical utility as (i) diagnostic and therapeutic tools for HCG-expressing cancers and (ii) contraceptive measures.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biotechnology, 52074 Aachen, Germany, Talwar Research Foundation, New Delhi 110068, India.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kathuria
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sriraman
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nath
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sack
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pal
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Artsaenko
authors.forename: G P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Talwar
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fischer
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Finnern
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology / Q000494:pharmacology; D000917:Antibody Formation; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D001698:Biomedical Engineering / Q000379:methods; D018997:Chorionic Gonadotropin, beta Subunit, Human / Q000276:immunology* / Q000494:pharmacology; D004355:Drug Stability; D005260:Female; D007985:Leydig Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D009500:Neutralization Tests; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology / Q000494:pharmacology; D013739:Testosterone / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000096:biosynthesis; D014026:Nicotiana / Q000276:immunology*; D014599:Uterus / Q000033:anatomy & histology
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D018997:Chorionic Gonadotropin, beta Subunit, Human; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D013739:Testosterone