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. 1993 Oct;13(5):559–568. doi: 10.1007/BF00711464

Cloning and expression of an anti-nerve growth factor (NGF) antibody for studies using the neuroantibody approach

Francesca Ruberti 1, Andrew Bradbury 1, Antonino Cattaneo 1,✉
PMCID: PMC11566751  PMID: 8111827

Abstract

  1. The neuroantibody approach, based on the expression of selected monoclonal antibodies by cells of the nervous system, has recently been described (Cattaneo and Neuberger, 1987; Piccioliet al., 1991). In order to apply this experimental strategy to study the role of nerve growth factor (NGF) in the central nervous system (CNS), we exploited the monoclonal antibody (mAb),αD11, which neutralizes very efficiently the biological activity of NGF, bothin vitro andin vivo (Cattaneoet al., 1988).

  2. TheαD11 antibody chains were cloned and expressed in COS cells as rat/human chimaeric proteins. The cloned antibody was shown to display all the properties of the parentalαD11 antibody, including its ability to neutralize NGF biological activity.

  3. This will allow us to engineer the expression of recombinantαD11 antibodies in the CNS, to study the role of NGF in the developing and adult nervous system. This approach can be extended to other neurotrophic factors for which neutralizing monoclonal antibodies are available.

Key words: nerve growth factor, neuroantibodies, cloning of recombinant antibodies

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