MASP-2, a complement-fixing enzyme, and uses for it
View Patent ↗The invention relates to the discovery and characterization of mannan binding lectin-associated serine protease-2 (MASP-2), a new serine protease that acts in the MBLectin complement fixation pathway.
1. A method for producing an antibody to human mannan-binding lectin associated serine protease-2 (MASP-2) comprising administering a human MASP-2 polypeptide to an antibody producing nonhuman animal.
2. An antibody that specifically binds to a human mannan-binding lectin associated serine protease-2 (MASP-2).
3. The antibody of claim 2 , wherein said antibody is a monoclonal antibody.
4. The antibody of claim 2 , said antibody being coupled to a compound comprising a detectable marker.
5. A pharmaceutical composition comprising the antibody of claim 2 .
6. The antibody of claim 2 in which the antibody selectively inhibits the serine protease activity of MASP-2.
7. The antibody of claim 2 in which the antibody inhibits MASP-2 catalyzed cleavage of complement factor C2 or C4.
8. A method for detecting mannan-binding lectin associated serine protease-2 (MASP-2), said method
(a) obtaining a biological sample;
(b) contacting said biological sample with a MASP-2 polypeptide specific binding partner that specifically binds MASP-2, thereby forming complexes of said binding partner with said MASP-2 polypeptide, if any,; and
(c) detecting said complexes of MASP-2 and said specific MASP-2 binding partner, if any, as an indication of the presence of mannan-binding lectin associated serine protease-2 in said sample,
where said binding partner is an antibody according to claim 2 .
9. The method of claim 8 for quantitative assay of MASP-2 in biological samples.
10. The method of claim 8 , further comprising detecting the enzymatic activity of said MASP-2 polypeptide in a sample.
11. A method for diagnosing a disorder associated with aberrant expression of MASP-2, comprising
obtaining a biological sample from a patient and
measuring MASP-2 expression in said biological sample, wherein increased or decreased MASP-2 expression in said biological sample compared to a control indicates that said patient suffers from a disorder associated with aberrant expression of MASP-2;
correlating MASP-2 expression with presence or absence of said disorder and thereby diagnosing said disorder, where MASP-2 expression is measured by means of an assay reagent comprising an antibody according to claim 2 .