ANTI-MERTK ANTIBODIES AND METHODS OF USE THEREOF

1 - 4 . (canceled)

5 . An isolated antibody that binds to human MerTK, wherein the antibody comprises a heavy chain variable region and a light chain variable region, wherein the heavy chain variable region and the light chain variable region comprise:

an HVR-H1, HVR-H2, HVR-H3, HVR-L1, HVR-L2, and HVR-L3 comprising the amino acid sequences of

(i) SEQ ID NOs: 213, 215, 217, 156, 180, and 219, respectively;

(ii) SEQ ID NOs: 64, 82, 111, 138, 164, 186, respectively;

(iii) SEQ ID NOs: 65, 83, 112, 139, 165, 187, respectively;

(iv) SEQ ID NOs: 66, 84, 113, 138, 164, 188, respectively;

(v) SEQ ID NOs: 224, 225, 226, 146, 227, and 228 respectively;

(vi) SEQ ID NOs: 67, 85, 114, 140, 166, and 189, respectively;

(vii) SEQ ID NOs: 68, 86, 115, 141, 167, and 190, respectively;

(viii) SEQ ID NOs: 65, 87, 116, 142, 168, and 191, respectively;

(ix) SEQ ID NOs: 69, 88, 117, 143, 169, and 192, respectively;

(x) SEQ ID NOs: 70, 89, 118, 144, 163, and 193, respectively;

(xi) SEQ ID NOs: 71, 90, 119, 145, 170, 194, respectively;

(xii) SEQ ID NOs: 72, 91, 120, 146, 171, 195, respectively;

(xiii) SEQ ID NOs: 73, 92, 121, 147, 172, 196, respectively;

(xiv) SEQ ID NOs: 65, 93, 122, 148, 173, 197, respectively;

(xv) SEQ ID NOs: 66, 94, 123, 149, 174, 198, respectively;

(xvi) SEQ ID NOs: 66, 95, 124, 150, 164, 188, respectively;

(xvii) SEQ ID NOs: 73, 96, 125, 151, 175, and 199, respectively;

(xviii) SEQ ID NOs: 74, 97, 126, 152, 176, and 200, respectively;

(xix) SEQ ID NOs: 71, 98, 127, 153, 177, and 201, respectively;

(xx) SEQ ID NOs: 66, 99, 128, 138, 164, and 188, respectively;

(xxi) SEQ ID NOs: 75, 100, 129, 154, 178, and 202, respectively;

(xxii) SEQ ID NOs: 71, 101, 130, 155, 179, and 201, respectively;

(xxiii) SEQ ID NOs: 76, 102, 131,155, 179, 201, respectively;

(xxiv) SEQ ID NOs: 77, 103, 132, 157, 181, and 204, respectively;

(xxv) SEQ ID NOs: 78, 104, 133, 158, 182, and 205, respectively;

(xxvi) SEQ ID NOs: 74, 105, 126, 159, 176, and 200, respectively;

(xxvii) SEQ ID NOs: 79, 106, 134, 160, 183, and 206, respectively;

(xxviii) SEQ ID NOs: 74, 107, 126, 161, 176, and 200, respectively;

(xxix) SEQ ID NOs: 70, 108, 135, 144, 170, and 207, respectively;

(xxx) SEQ ID NOs: 80, 109, 136, 162, 184, and 208, respectively;

(xxxi) SEQ ID NOs: 63, 81, 110, 137, 163, and 185, respectively; or

(xxxii) SEQ ID NOs: 214, 216, 218, 220, 172, and 221, respectively.

6 - 11 . (canceled)

12 . The antibody of claim 5 , wherein the antibody comprises a heavy chain variable region and a light chain variable region comprising the amino acid sequences of SEQ ID NOs:209 and 211, respectively; SEQ ID NOs:5 and 34, respectively; SEQ ID NOs:6 and 35, respectively; SEQ ID NOs:7 and 36, respectively; respectively; SEQ ID NOs:8 and 37, respectively; SEQ ID NOs:222 and 223, respectively; SEQ ID NOs:9 and 38, respectively; SEQ ID NOs:10 and 39, respectively; SEQ ID NOs:11 and 40, respectively; SEQ ID NOs:12 and 41, respectively; SEQ ID NOs:13 and 42, respectively; SEQ ID NOs:14 and 43, respectively; SEQ ID NOs:15 and 44, respectively; SEQ ID NOs:16 and 45, respectively; SEQ ID NOs:17 and 46, respectively; SEQ ID NOs:18 and 47, respectively; SEQ ID NOs:19 and 48, respectively; SEQ ID NOs:20 and 49, respectively; SEQ ID NOs:21 and 50, respectively; SEQ ID NOs:22 and 51, respectively; SEQ ID NOs:23 and 52, respectively; SEQ ID NOs:24 and 53, respectively; SEQ ID NOs:25 and 54, respectively; SEQ ID NOs:26 and 55, respectively; SEQ ID NOs:27 and 56, respectively; SEQ ID NOs:28 and 57, respectively; SEQ ID NOs:29 and 58, respectively; SEQ ID NOs:30 and 59, respectively; SEQ ID NOs:31 and 60, respectively; SEQ ID NOs:32 and 61, respectively; SEQ ID NOs:33 and 62, respectively; and SEQ ID NOs:210 and 212, respectively.

13 . An isolated antibody that binds to human MerTK, wherein the antibody competitively inhibits binding of the antibody of claim 5 for binding to human MerTK.

14 . An isolated antibody that binds to human MerTK, wherein the antibody binds, the same, essentially the same, or an overlapping epitope on MerTK as the antibody of claim 5 .

15 . The antibody of claim 5 , wherein the antibody does not reduce efferocytosis by more than 40%.

16 - 20 . (canceled)

21 . The antibody of claim 5 , wherein the antibody increases phagocytosis by a phagocytic cell.

22 - 23 . (canceled)

24 . The antibody of claim 5 , wherein the antibody does not reduce binding of Gas6 or ProS to MerTK by more than 30%, by more than 20%, by more than 10%, or by more than 5%.

25 . The antibody of claim 5 , wherein the antibody increases phosphorylation of MerTK.

26 - 28 . (canceled)

29 . The antibody of claim 5 , wherein the antibody increases monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) expression in macrophages.

30 - 31 . (canceled)

32 . The antibody of claim 5 , wherein the antibody binds to the N-terminal domain of MerTK, Ig-like domain 1, Ig-like domain 2, fibronectin type III domain 1, fibronectin type III domain 2, and/or juxtamembrane domain of MerTK.

33 . The antibody of claim 5 , wherein the antibody binds to cynomolgus MerTK, but not murine MerTK, binds to murine MerTK, but not cynomolgus MerTK, or binds to cynomolgus and murine MerTK.

34 . The antibody of claim 5 , wherein the antibody binds human MerTK with an affinity of less than 440 nM, less than 400 nM, less than 350 nM, less than 300 nM, less than 250 nM, less than 200 nM, less than 150 nM, less than 100 nM, or less than 50 nM.

35 - 36 . (canceled)

37 . The antibody of claim 5 , wherein the antibody is a murine antibody, a human antibody, a humanized antibody, a bispecific antibody, a monoclonal antibody, a multivalent antibody, a conjugated antibody, or a chimeric antibody.

38 . The antibody of claim 5 , wherein the antibody is of the IgG class, the IgM class, or the IgA class.

39 . The antibody of claim 38 , wherein the antibody is of the IgG class and has an IgG1, an IgG2, or an IgG4 isotype.

40 . The antibody of claim 5 , wherein the antibody is a full-length antibody.

41 . The antibody of claim 5 , wherein the antibody is an antibody fragment.

42 . The antibody of claim 41 , wherein the fragment is a Fab, Fab′, Fab′-SH, F(ab′)2, Fv or scFv fragment.

43 . An isolated nucleic acid comprising a nucleic acid sequence encoding the antibody of claim 5 .

44 . A vector comprising the nucleic acid of claim 43 .

45 . An isolated host cell comprising the nucleic acid of claim 43 .

46 . (canceled)

47 . A method of producing an antibody that binds to human MerTK, the method comprising culturing the cell of claim 45 so that the antibody is produced.

48 - 49 . (canceled)

50 . A pharmaceutical composition comprising the antibody of claim 5 and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.

51 . A method of preventing, reducing risk, or treating an autoimmune disorder in an individual, the method comprising administering to an individual in need thereof a therapeutically effective amount of the antibody of claim 5 .

52 . (canceled)

53 . A method of preventing, reducing risk, or treating a retinal ganglion degenerative disorder or retinitis pigmentosa in an individual, the method comprising administering to an individual in need thereof a therapeutically effective amount of the antibody of claim 5 .

54 . A method of preventing, reducing risk, or treating vision loss in an individual, the method comprising administering to an individual in need thereof a therapeutically effective amount of the antibody of claim 5 .

55 . A method for detecting MerTk in a sample comprising contacting said sample with the antibody of claim 5 .

56 . A method of increasing phagocytosis comprising contacting a phagocytic cell with the antibody of claim 5 .

57 - 60 . (canceled)