B7-H6 therapeutically active monoclonal antibody against B7-H6 polypeptide

1. An antibody which specifically binds to an epitope formed by a portion of the extracellular domain of the B7-H6 polypeptide, said portion consisting of an amino acid sequence as shown in SEQ ID NO: 22.

2. The antibody of claim 1 , wherein the antibody comprises complementarity determining regions (CDRs) encoded by SEQ ID NOs: 5, 7, 9, 15, 17, and 19.

3. The antibody of claim 1 , wherein the antibody is a monoclonal antibody.

4. The antibody of claim 1 , wherein the antibody is the antibody produced by the hybridoma cell clone deposited under accession number DSM ACC 3117 at the DSMZ, Braunschweig, Germany under the conditions of the Budapest Treaty on Feb. 2, 2011.

5. A method for diagnosing cancer in a sample of a subject suspected to suffer from cancer comprising:

(a) contacting the sample with the antibody of claim 1 under conditions which allow for binding of the antibody to its epitope on the B7-H6 polypeptide; and

(b) determining binding of the antibody to the the epitope, whereby cancer s diagnosed if binding is detected.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the cancer is T cell lymphoma, myeloid leukemia, colon carcinoma, B cell lymphoma, melanoma, or cervical carcinoma.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the sample is a tissue or body fluid sample.

8. A kit for diagnosing cancer comprising the antibody of claim 1 , and an agent for detection of binding of the antibody to its epitope on the B7-H6 polypeptide.