title: Antigen-specific monoclonal antibodies isolated from B cells expressing constitutively active STAT5.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Fully human monoclonal antibodies directed against specific pathogens have a high therapeutic potential, but are difficult to generate.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Memory B cells were immortalized by expressing an inducible active mutant of the transcription factor Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription 5 (STAT5). Active STAT5 inhibits the differentiation of B cells while increasing their replicative life span. We obtained cloned B cell lines, which produced antibodies in the presence of interleukin 21 after turning off STAT5. We used this method to obtain monoclonal antibodies against the model antigen tetanus toxin.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Here we describe a novel and relatively simple method of immortalizing antigen-specific human B cells for isolation of human monoclonal antibodies. These results show that STAT5 overexpression can be employed to isolate antigen specific antibodies from human memory B cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell Biology and Histology, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Ferenc A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Scheeren
authors.forename: Caroline M M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: van Geelen
authors.forename: Etsuko
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Yasuda
authors.forename: Hergen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Spits
authors.forename: Tim
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Beaumont
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology*; D002460:Cell Line; D002469:Cell Separation; D002999:Clone Cells; D000939:Epitopes / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007143:Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains / Q000276:immunology; D007135:Immunoglobulin Variable Region / Q000276:immunology; D007156:Immunologic Memory / Q000276:immunology; D007378:Interleukins / Q000494:pharmacology; D051379:Mice; D050799:STAT5 Transcription Factor / Q000276:immunology*; D027041:Somatic Hypermutation, Immunoglobulin / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D013744:Tetanus Toxin / Q000276:immunology; D000098546:Interleukin-21
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000939:Epitopes; D007143:Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains; D007135:Immunoglobulin Variable Region; D007378:Interleukins; D050799:STAT5 Transcription Factor; D013744:Tetanus Toxin; D000098546:Interleukin-21