Transthyretin antibodies and uses thereof

1. An anti-transthyretin (TTR) monoclonal antibody that exhibits selective binding to non-native TTR under physiologically relevant conditions as compared to tetrameric TTR for said antibody binding, wherein the monoclonal antibody binds to an epitope consisting essentially of amino acid residues 49-61 or 109-121 in SEQ ID. No. 1 with a Kd equal to or less than 1 nM, wherein the epitope has a length of 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, or 16 amino acids.

2. The antibody of claim 1 , wherein said antibody binds to an epitope that is more accessible on non-native TTR as compared to tetrameric TTR, wherein epitope accessibility is evidenced by formation of an epitope/antibody complex in a binding assay.

3. The antibody of claim 1 , wherein the monoclonal antibody binds to an epitope consisting essentially of amino acid residues 49-61 in SEQ ID. No 1.

4. The antibody of claim 1 , wherein said antibody binds to wild-type monomeric and/or wild-type oligomeric TTR.

5. The antibody of claim 1 , wherein said antibody binds to mutant monomeric and/or mutant oligomeric TTR.

6. The antibody of claim 1 , wherein the monoclonal antibody binds to an epitope consisting essentially of amino acid residues 109-121 in SEQ ID. No 1.

7. The antibody of claim 1 , wherein said antibody exhibits weaker binding to said epitope when TTR is in a native tetrameric conformation as compared to when TTR is in a non-native conformation.

8. The antibody of claim 7 , wherein said weaker binding is ascertained by indirect ELISA.

9. The antibody of claim 1 , wherein said monoclonal antibodies exhibit at least 100 times greater affinity towards the non-native TTR as compared to the tetrameric TTR.

10. The antibody of claim 9 , wherein said antibody exhibits a Kd equal to or less than 1 nM, and wherein said monoclonal antibodies exhibit at least 100 times greater affinity towards the non-native TTR as compared to the tetrameric TTR.

11. A host cell that produces the antibody of claim 1 .

12. The antibody of claim 1 , wherein the antibody exhibits selective binding to a non-native form of mutant transthyretin (TTR) present in an amyloid disease carrier under physiologically relevant conditions as compared to a tetrameric form of said mutant TTR.

13. The antibody of claim 12 , wherein said amyloid disease is familial amyloid neuropathy, familial amyloid cardiomyopathy, carpel tunnel syndrome, leptomeningeal amyloidosis, familial oculoleptomeningeal amyloidosis, or senile systemic amyloidosis.

14. The antibody of claim 12 , wherein said mutant transthyretin comprises a mutation selected from the group consisting of a Cys10Arg mutation, a Leu12Pro mutation, an Asp18Glu mutation, an Asp18Gly mutation, an Asp18Asn mutation, a Val20Ile mutation, a Ser23Asn mutation, a Pro24Ser mutation, an Ala25Thr mutation, an Ala25Ser mutation, a Val28Met mutation, a Val30Met mutation, a Val30Ala mutation, a Val30Leu mutation, a Val30Gly mutation, a Val32Ala mutation, a Phe33Ile mutation, a Phe33Leu mutation, a Phe33Val mutation, a Phe33Cys mutation, an Arg34Thr mutation, an Arg34Gly mutation, a Lys35Asn mutation, a Lys35Thr mutation, an Ala36Pro mutation, an Asp38Ala mutation, an Asp38Val mutation, a Trp41Leu mutation, a Glu42Gly mutation, a Glu42Asp mutation, a Phe44Ser mutation, an Ala45Asp mutation, an Ala45Ser mutation, an Ala45Thr mutation, a Gly47Arg mutation, a Gly47Ala mutation, a Gly47Val mutation, a Gly47Glu mutation, a Thr49Ala mutation, a Thr49Ile mutation, a Thr49Pro mutation, a Ser50Arg mutation, a Ser50Ile mutation, a Glu51Gly mutation, a Ser52Pro mutation, a Gly53Glu mutation, a Gly53Ala mutation, a Glu54Gly mutation, a Glu54Lys mutation, a Glu54Leu mutation, a Leu55Arg mutation, a Leu55Pro mutation, a Leu55Gln mutation, a Leu55Glu mutation, a His56Arg mutation, a Gly57Arg mutation, a Leu58His mutation, a Leu58Arg mutation, a Thr59Lys mutation, a Thr60Ala mutation, a Glu61Lys mutation, a Glu61Gly mutation, a Phe64Leu mutation, a Phe64Ser mutation, a Gly67Glu mutation, a Ile68Leu mutation, a Tyr69His mutation, a Tyr69Ile mutation, a Lys70Asn mutation, a Val71Ala mutation, a Ile73Val mutation, a Ser77Phe mutation, a Ser77Tyr mutation, a Tyr78Phe mutation, an Ala81Val mutation, an Ala81Thr mutation, a Ile84Ser mutation, a Ile84Asn mutation, a Ile84Thr mutation, a His88Arg mutation, a Glu89Gln mutation, a Glu89Lys mutation, a His90Asp mutation, an Ala91Ser mutation, a Gln92Lys mutation, a Val94Ala mutation, an Ala97Gly mutation, an Ala97Ser mutation, an Arg103Ser mutation, a Ile107Val mutation, a Ile107Met mutation, a Ile107Phe mutation, an Ala109Ser mutation, a Leu111Met mutation, a Ser112Ile mutation, a Tyr114Cys mutation, a Tyr114His mutation, a Tyr116Ser mutation, an Ala120Ser mutation, a Val122Ile mutation, a DelVal122 mutation, a Val122Ala mutation, and an Asn124Ser mutation.

15. The antibody of any of claim 12 , wherein said selective binding to said non-native TTR as compared to tetrameric TTR is evidenced by an increased amount of immunocomplexes formed between said antibody and said non-native TTR as compared to an amount of immunocomplexes formed between said antibody and said tetrameric TTR.

16. A homogenous population of monoclonal antibodies of claim 1 .

17. A set of antibodies of claim 1 , comprising a first antibody exhibiting selective binding to an epitope consisting essentially of amino acid residues 49-61 in SEQ ID. No. 1, and a second antibody exhibiting selective binding to an epitope consisting essentially of amino acid residues 109-121.

18. The antibody of claim 1 , wherein the antibody is MFD108 produced by the hybridoma deposited with the American Type Culture Collection having the ATCC Patent Deposit Designation PTA-120816.

19. The set of antibodies of claim 17 , wherein the first antibody is MFD108 produced by the hybridoma deposited with the American Type Culture Collection having the ATCC Patent Deposit Designation PTA-120816.