Anti APRIL (a proliferation-inducing ligand) antibodies and their uses for the prognosis and/or diagnosis of cancer

1. Antibody Aprily-6 as produced by the hybridoma deposited at the Collection Nationale de Cultures de Microorganismes on Dec. 16, 2014, under the number CNCM I-4929, or an antigen-binding fragment thereof, directed against an epitope comprising or being constituted by at least six contiguous amino acids in the SEQ ID NO: 1 or a conformational epitope comprising or being constituted by at least six amino acids of SEQ ID NO: 1 which are always in the order of the said sequence, for its use for the prognosis and/or the diagnosis of a cancer.

2. Antibody or antigen-binding fragment thereof for its use for the prognosis and/or the diagnosis of a cancer according to claim 1 , and wherein the said antibody is notably used without the antibody Stalk-1.

3. Antibody or antigen-binding fragment thereof for its use for the prognosis and/or the diagnosis of a cancer according to claim 1 , wherein the said cancer is a lymphoma, notably chosen among all types of Hodgkin lymphomas, among the Burkitt lymphoma and Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma types, or a solid tumor, such as glioblastoma or colorectal cancer.

4. Antibody or antigen-binding fragment thereof for its use for the prognosis and/or the diagnosis of a cancer according to claim 1 , wherein the said diagnosis is an improved subtyping of B-Cell Lymphomas, notably for the Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma types, in particular in high-risk patient.

5. Antibody or antigen-binding fragment thereof for its use for the prognosis and/or the diagnosis of a cancer according to claim 1 , wherein the said prognosis is the risk assessment for patients newly diagnosed for a B-Cell Lymphoma, notably for a Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma types, in particular in high-risk patient.

6. Antibody or antigen-binding fragment thereof for its use for the prognosis and/or the diagnosis of a cancer according to claim 4 , wherein the high risk patient has a APRIL value above the reference threshold sample previously calculated at 4.6 10 4 according to the Metamorph microscopy automation and image analysis software, or wherein the high risk patient has a number of cells positive for secreted APRIL equal or superior to 45 positive cells per 0.12 mm 2 .

7. Antibody or antigen-binding fragment thereof for its use for the prognosis and/or the diagnosis of a cancer according to claim 1 , wherein the said antibody is used with the antibody Aprily-2.

8. Antibody or antigen-binding fragment thereof according to claim 1 , which does not block the binding of APRIL to its receptor TACI and/or BCMA.

9. Composition comprising at least the antibody or antigen-binding fragment thereof according to claim 1 .

10. Hydridoma producing a monoclonal antibody Aprily-5 as deposited at the Collection Nationale de Cultures de Microorganismes on Dec. 16, 2014, under the number CNCM I-4929.

11. In vitro and/or ex vivo method for the prognosis and/or the diagnosis of a cancer, of using the antibody or antigen-binding fragment thereof according to claim 1 , wherein the antibody or antigen-binding fragment is used at a concentration from 0.1 to 500 μg/ml.

12. In vitro and/or ex vivo method for the prognosis and/or the diagnosis and/or the determination of a risk assessment of a cancer, the said method using the antibody or antigen-binding fragment thereof according to claim 1 , and the said method comprising the following steps:

labeling the antibody or antigen-binging fragment thereof and using the labeled antibody or antigen-binging fragment thereof to detect in a biological sample, of a patient affected or suspected to be affected by said cancer, a number of cells positive for secreted APRIL,

comparing the said number with the value of 45 positive cells for secreted APRIL per 0.12 mm 2 ,

deducing from said comparison whether the said patient may be expected to be suffering from a cancer.