ANTI-ALPHA V BETA 6 ANTIBODIES

1 - 35 . (canceled)

36 . A method for treating a subject having or at risk of having psoriasis mediated by α v β 6 , comprising administering to the subject the composition comprising:

a monoclonal antibody that is an αvβ6 blocking antibody, or an antigen binding fragment thereof and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier;

thereby alleviating, or postponing the onset of, psoriasis wherein the monoclonal antibody or antigen binding fragment in said composition is selected from the group consisting of:

(a) an antibody or an antigen binding fragment of an antibody that comprises the same heavy and light chain polypeptide sequences as an antibody produced by hybridoma 6.1A8 (ATCC accession number PTA-3647);

(b) an antibody that comprises the same heavy and light chain polypeptide sequences as an antibody produced by hybridoma 6.3G9 (ATCC accession number PTA-3649);

(c) an antibody or an antigen binding fragment of an antibody that comprises the same heavy and light chain polypeptide sequences as an antibody produced by hybridoma 6.8G6 (ATCC accession number PTA-3645);

(d) an antibody or an antigen binding fragment of an antibody that comprises the same heavy and light chain polypeptide sequences as an antibody produced by hybridoma 6.2B1 (ATCC accession number PTA-3646);

(e) an antibody or an antigen binding fragment of an antibody that comprises the same heavy and light chain polypeptide sequences as an antibody produced by hybridoma 7.1G10 (ATCC accession number PTA-3898).

(f) an antibody or an antigen binding fragment of an antibody that comprises the same heavy and light chain polypeptide sequences as an antibody produced by hybridoma 7.7G5 (ATCC accession number PTA-3899); and

(g) an antibody or an antigen binding fragment of an antibody that comprises the same heavy and light chain polypeptide sequences as an antibody produced by hybridoma 7.1C5 (ATCC accession number PTA-3900).

37 . The method of claim 36 , wherein the subject is a human.

38 - 59 . (canceled)

60 . The method of claim 36 wherein the antibody in said composition is one in which the binding between the antibody and αvβ6 is divalent cation-independent.

61 . The method of claim 36 , wherein the antibody in said composition is selected from the group consisting of:

(a) an anti-αvβ6 antibody whose heavy chain complementarity determining regions (CDR) 1, 2 and 3 comprise the sequences of SEQ ID NOs:1, 4 and 7, respectively, and whose light chain CDRs 1, 2 and 3 comprise the sequences of SEQ ID NOs:10, 13 and 15, respectively;

(b) an anti-αvβ6 antibody whose heavy chain complementarity determining regions (CDR) 1, 2 and 3 comprise the sequences of SEQ ID NOs:3, 5 and 8, respectively, and whose light chain CDRs 1, 2 and 3 comprise the sequences of SEQ ID NOs:11, 14 and 17, respectively;

(c) an anti-αvβ6 antibody whose heavy chain complementarity determining regions (CDR) 1, 2 and 3 comprise the sequences of SEQ ID NOs:3, 6 and 9, respectively, and light chain CDRs 1, 2 and 3 comprise the sequences of SEQ ID NOs:12, 14 and 18, respectively;

(d) an anti-αvβ6 antibody whose heavy chain complementarity determining regions (CDR) 1, 2 and 3 comprise the sequences of SEQ ID NOs:2, 46 and 47, respectively, and whose light chain CDRs 1, 2 and 3 comprise the sequences of SEQ ID NOs:48, 13 and 16, respectively;

(e) an anti-αvβ6 antibody whose heavy chain complementarity determining regions (CDR) 1, 2 and 3 comprise the sequences of SEQ ID NOs:49, 51, and 53, respectively, and light chain CDRs 1, 2 and 3 comprise the sequences of SEQ ID NOs:55, 57 and 59, respectively;

(f) an anti-αvβ6 antibody whose heavy chain complementarity determining regions (CDR) 1, 2 and 3 comprise the sequences of SEQ ID NOs:50, 52, and 54, respectively, and whose light chain CDRs 1, 2 and 3 comprise the sequences of SEQ ID NOs:56, 58 and 60, respectively;

(g) an anti-αvβ6 antibody comprising a heavy chain variable domain sequence of any one of SEQ ID NOs:19-36 or SEQ ID NOs 61-62;

(h) an anti-αvβ6 antibody or an antigen binding fragment thereof comprising a heavy chain variable domain sequence of SEQ ID NO:19 and the light chain variable domain sequence of SEQ ID NO:37;

(i) an anti-αvβ6 antibody or an antigen binding fragment thereof comprising a heavy chain variable domain sequence of SEQ ID NO:20 or 21, and the light chain variable domain sequence of SEQ ID NO:38;

(j) an anti-αvβ6 antibody or an antigen binding fragment thereof comprising a heavy chain variable domain sequence of SEQ ID NO:22 and the light chain variable domain sequence of SEQ ID NO:43;

(k) an anti-αvβ6 antibody or an antigen binding fragment thereof comprising a heavy chain variable domain sequence of SEQ ID NO:23 and the light chain variable domain sequence of SEQ ID NO:44;

(l) an anti-αvβ6 antibody or an antigen binding fragment thereof comprising a heavy chain variable domain sequence of SEQ ID NO:24 and the light chain variable domain sequence of SEQ ID NO:45;

(m) an anti-αvβ6 antibody or an antigen binding fragment thereof comprising a heavy chain variable domain sequence of SEQ ID NO:25 or 26 and the light chain variable domain sequence of SEQ ID NO:42;

(n) an anti-αvβ6 antibody or an antigen binding fragment thereof comprising a heavy chain variable domain sequence of SEQ ID NO:27, 28, or 29, and the light chain variable domain sequence of SEQ ID NO:39;

(o) an anti-αvβ6 antibody or an antigen binding fragment thereof comprising a heavy chain variable domain sequence of SEQ ID NO:34 or 35, and the light chain variable domain sequence of SEQ ID NO:40;

(p) an anti-αvβ6 antibody or an antigen binding fragment thereof comprising a heavy chain variable domain sequence of SEQ ID NO:36, and the light chain variable domain sequence of SEQ ID NO:41;

(q) an anti-αvβ6 antibody or an antigen binding fragment thereof comprising a heavy chain variable domain sequence of SEQ ID NO:61, and the light chain variable domain sequence of SEQ ID NO:63; and

(r) an anti-αvβ6 antibody or an antigen binding fragment thereof comprising a heavy chain variable domain sequence of SEQ ID NO:62, and the light chain variable domain sequence of SEQ ID NO:64.

62 . The method of claim 36 , wherein the antibody is selected from the group consisting of:

an anti-αvβ6 antibody or an antigen binding fragment thereof which comprises the same heavy and light chain polypeptide sequences as an antibody produced by hybridoma 6.2A1 (ATCC accession number PTA-3896);

an anti-αvβ6 antibody or an antigen binding fragment thereof which comprises the same heavy and light chain polypeptide sequences as an antibody produced by hybridoma 6.2E5 (ATCC accession number PTA-3897);

an anti-αvβ6 antibody or an antigen binding fragment thereof which comprises the same heavy and light chain polypeptide sequences as an antibody produced by hybridoma 6.2B10 (ATCC accession number PTA-3648).

63 . The method of composition of claim 36 , wherein the antibody is conjugated to a cytotoxic agent.

64 . The method of claim 36 , wherein the antibody in said composition is an anti-αvβ6 antibody comprising an amino acid sequence of any one of SEQ ID NOs:19-45 and SEQ ID NOs 61-64.

65 . The method of claim 36 , wherein the antibody in said composition comprises heavy chain complementarity determining regions 1, 2, and 3 and light chain complementarity determining regions 1, 2, and 3 wherein the heavy chain complementarity determining regions (CDR) 1, 2 and 3 comprise SEQ ID NOs:3, 6 and 9, respectively and wherein the light chain CDRs comprise SEQ ID NOs:12, 14 and 18, respectively.

66 . The method of claim 36 , wherein said antibody in said composition is a monoclonal antibody that binds soluble αvβ6 but does not bind the (36 subunit.

67 . The method of claim 36 , wherein said monoclonal antibody in said composition prevents the activation of TGF-β.

68 . The method of claim 36 wherein the antibody in said composition comprises heavy chain complementarity determining regions 1, 2, and 3 and light chain complementarity determining regions 1, 2, and 3, wherein said antibody competes with 6.8G6 (ATCC accession number PTA-3645) for binding to αvβ6 and contains an FXY motif in CDR3 of the heavy chain.

69 . The method of claim 36 , wherein said antibody in said composition contains a mutation at an amino acid residue that is a site for glycosylation such that the glycosylation site is eliminated.

70 . The method of claim 36 , wherein said composition comprises:

(a) an antibody produced by hybridoma 6.1A8 (ATCC accession number PTA-3647) or an antigen binding fragment of an antibody produced by hybridoma 6.1A8 (ATCC accession number PTA-3647); or

(b) an antibody produced by hybridoma 6.2B10 (ATCC accession number PTA-3648) or an antigen binding fragment of an antibody produced by hybridoma 6.2B10(ATCC accession number PTA-3648); or

(c) an antibody produced by hybridoma 6.3G9 (ATCC accession number PTA-3649) or an antigen binding fragment of an antibody produced by hybridoma 6.3G9 (ATCC accession number PTA-3649); or

(d) an antibody produced by hybridoma 6.8G6 (ATCC accession number PTA-3645) or an antigen binding fragment of an antibody produced by hybridoma 6.8G6 (ATCC accession number PTA-3645); or

(e) an antibody produced by hybridoma 6.2B1 (ATCC accession number PTA-3646) or an antigen binding fragment of an antibody produced by hybridoma 6.2B1 (ATCC accession number PTA-3646); or

(f) an antibody produced by hybridoma 6.2A1 (ATCC accession number PTA-3896) or an antigen binding fragment of an antibody produced by hybridoma 6.2A1 (ATCC accession number PTA-3896); or

(g) an antibody produced by hybridoma 6.2E5 (ATCC accession number PTA-3897) or an antigen binding fragment of an antibody produced by hybridoma 6.2E5 (ATCC accession number PTA-3897); or

(h) an antibody produced by hybridoma 7.1G10 (ATCC accession number PTA-3898) or an antigen binding fragment of an antibody produced by hybridoma 7.1G10 (ATCC accession number PTA-3898) or;

(i) an antibody produced by hybridoma 7.7G5 (ATCC accession number PTA-3899) or an antigen binding fragment of an antibody produced by hybridoma 7.7G5 (ATCC accession number PTA-3899); or

(j) an antibody produced by hybridoma 7.105 (ATCC accession number PTA-3900) or an antigen binding fragment of an antibody produced by hybridoma 7.1C5 (ATCC accession number PTA-3900).