Methods for producing antibody compositions with increased ADCC

1. A method for producing an antibody composition with increased antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity, comprising:

(a) providing an isolated animal host cell comprising a first α-1,6-fucosyltransferase activity;

(b) modifying said host cell, said modification being by selection in the presence of lectins, or genetic modification, so as to reduce or eliminate the first α-1,6-fucosyltransferase activity to produce a modified host cell having a second α-1,6-fucosyltransferase activity or no α-1,6-fucosyltransferase activity, said second α-1,6-fucosyltransferase activity being less than said first α-1,6-fucosyltransferase activity;

(c) introducing a nucleic acid sequence encoding an IgG antibody, in expressible form, into the modified host cell, wherein said host cell expresses said nucleic acid sequence;

(d) producing an IgG antibody composition comprising a mixture of IgG antibodies, said mixture comprising IgG antibodies wherein at least one of the N-acetylglucosamine residues of the reducing terminal of an N-glycoside-linked sugar chain bound to the Fc region of the IgG antibody does not contain an α-1,6-linked fucose and said IgG antibody composition has an enhanced antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity activity as compared to an IgG antibody composition produced in said host cell having said first α-1,6- fucosyltransferase activity.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the sugar chain comprises:

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the host cell which comprises a first α-1,6-fucosyltransferase activity is selected from the group consisting of an NSO cell, a SP2/0 cell, a Chinese hamster overy cell, a rat myeloma cell, a monkey cell and a human myeloma cell.

4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the rat myeloma cell is YB2/3HL.P2.G11.16Ag.20 cell (ATCC CRL-142).

5. A method for producing an antibody composition with increased antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity, comprising:

(a) providing an isolated animal host cell comprising a first α-1,6-fucosyltransferase activity;

(b) introducing a nucleic acid sequence encoding an IgG antibody, in expressible form, into the host cell;

(c) modifying said host cell, said modification being by selection in the presence of lectins, or genetic modification, so as to reduce or eliminate the first α-1,6-fucosyltransferase activity to produce a modified host cell having a second α-1,6-fucosyltransferase activity or no α-1,6-fucosyltransferase activity, said second α-1,6-fucosyltransferase activity being less than said first α-1,6-fucosyltransferase activity, wherein said modified host cell expresses said nucleic acid sequence;

(d) producing an IgG antibody composition comprising a mixture of IgG antibodies, said mixture comprising IgG antibodies wherein at least one of the N-acetylglucosamine residues of the reducing terminal of an N-glycoside-linked sugar chain bound to the Fc region of the IgG antibody does not contain an α-1,6-linked fucose and said IgG antibody composition has an enhanced antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity activity as compared to an IgG antibody composition produced in said host cell having said first α-1,6-fucosyltransferase activity.

6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein the sugar chain comprises:

7. The method according to claim 5 , wherein the host cell which comprises a first α-1,6-fucosyltransferase is selected from the group consisting of NS0 cell, SP2/0 cell, a Chinese hamster overy cell, a rat myeloma cell, a monkey cell and a human myeloma cell.

8. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the rat myeloma cell is YB2/3HL. P2.G11.16Ag.20 cell (ATCC CRL-142).

9. A method for producing an antibody with increased antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity, comprising:

(a) providing an isolated animal host cell comprising an α-1,6-fucosyltransferase activity;

(b) modifying said host cell, said modification being by selection in the presence of lectins, or genetic modification, so as to eliminate the α-1,6-fucosyltransferase activity to produce a modified host cell having no α-1,6-fucosyltransferase activity;

(c) introducing a nucleic acid sequence encoding an IgG antibody, in expressible form, into the modified host cell, wherein said modified host cell expresses said nucleic acid sequence;

(d) producing the IgG antibody wherein the N-acetylglucosamine of the reducing terminal of an N-glycoside-linked sugar chain bound to the Fc region of the IgG antibody does not contain an α-1,6- linked fucose and said IgG antibody has an enhanced antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity activity as compared to an IgG antibody produced in said host cell having said α-1,6-fucosyltransferase activity.

10. The method according to claim 9 , wherein the sugar chain comprises:

11. The method according to claim 9 , wherein the host cell which comprises the α-1,6-fucosyltransferase activity is selected from the group consisting of an NS0 cell, a SP2/0 cell, a Chinese hamster overy cell, a rat myeloma cell, a monkey cell and a human myeloma cell.

12. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the rat myeloma cell is YB2/3HL.P2.G11.16Ag.20 cell (ATCC CRL-142).

13. A method for producing an antibody with increased antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity, comprising:

(a) providing an isolated animal host cell which comprises an α-1,6-fucosyltransferase activity;

(b) introducing a nucleic acid sequence encoding an IgG antibody, in expressible form, into the host cell, wherein said host cell expresses said nucleic acid sequence;

(c) modifying said host cell, said modification being by selection in the presence of lectins, or genetic modification, so as to eliminate the α-1,6-fucosyltransferase activity to produce a modified host cell having no α-1,6-fucosyltransferase activity;

(d) producing said IgG antibody wherein the N-acetylglucosamine of the reducing terminal of an N-glycoside-linked sugar chain bound to the Fc region of the IgG antibody does not contain an α-1,6-linked fucose and said IgG antibody has an enhanced antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity activity as compared to IgG antibody produced in said host cell having said α-1,6-fucosyltransferase activity.

14. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the sugar chain comprises:

15. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the host cell which comprises an α-1,6-fucosyltransferase activity is selected from the group consisting of an NS0 cell, a SP2/0 cell, a Chinese hamster overy cell, a rat myeloma cell, a monkey cell and a human myeloma cell.

16. The method according to claim 15 , wherein the rat myeloma cell is YB2/3HL.P2.G11.16Ag.20 cell (ACCT CRL-142).