title: Fusion protein of single-chain variable domain fragments for treatment of myasthenia gravis.
abstract: Single-chain variable domain fragment (scFv) 637 is an antigen-specific scFv of myasthenia gravis. In this study, scFv and human serum albumin genes were conjugated and the fusion protein was expressed in Pichia pastoris. The affinity of scFv-human serum albumin fusion protein to bind to acetylcholine receptor at the neuromuscular junction of human intercostal muscles was detected by immunofluorescence staining. The ability of the fusion protein to block myasthenia gravis patient sera binding to acetylcholine receptors and its stability in healthy serum were measured by competitive ELISA. The results showed that the inhibition rate was 2.0-77.4%, and the stability of fusion protein in static healthy sera was about 3 days. This approach suggests the scFv-human serum albumin is a potential candidate for specific immunosuppressive therapy of myasthenia gravis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology and Pathogenic Biology, College of Medicine, Yanbian University, Yanji, Jilin Province, China.
authors.forename: Fangfang
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology and Pathogenic Biology, College of Medicine, Yanbian University, Yanji, Jilin Province, China.
authors.forename: Fanping
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Meng
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology and Pathogenic Biology, College of Medicine, Yanbian University, Yanji, Jilin Province, China.
authors.forename: Quanxin
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology and Pathogenic Biology, College of Medicine, Yanbian University, Yanji, Jilin Province, China.
authors.forename: Changyuan
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology and Pathogenic Biology, College of Medicine, Yanbian University, Yanji, Jilin Province, China.
authors.forename: Yingxin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology and Pathogenic Biology, College of Medicine, Yanbian University, Yanji, Jilin Province, China.
authors.forename: Honghua
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology and Pathogenic Biology, College of Medicine, Yanbian University, Yanji, Jilin Province, China.
authors.forename: Songzhu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jin
keywords: NSFC grant; acetylcholine receptor; anti-acetylcholine receptor antibody; autoimmune disease; fusion protein; human serum albumin; immunosuppressive therapy; myasthenia gravis; nerve regeneration; neural regeneration; single-chain variable domain fragment