This disclosure relates to a transgenic plant or plant tissue. In particular, this disclosure relates to a transgenic plant or plant tissue or plant cell comprising at least one polynucleotide comprising at least one sequence encoding a variable domain of a heavy-chain antibody (VHH) specifically binding to a sphingolipid of a fungus. Advantageously, the expression of the polynucleotide in at least part of the transgenic plant or plant tissue or plant cell (i) protects at least part of the transgenic plant or plant tissue or plant cell from an infection with a plant pathogenic fungus, (ii) inhibits the growth of a plant pathogenic fungus on at least part of the transgenic plant or plant tissue or plant cell, or (iii) increases the resistance of at least part of the transgenic plant or plant tissue or plant cell against a plant pathogenic fungus. This disclosure also relates to a method for protecting at least part of a plant or plant tissue or plant cell from an infection with a plant pathogen, for inhibiting the growth of a plant pathogen on at least part of a plant or plant tissue or plant cell, or for increasing pathogen resistance of at least part of a plant or plant tissue or plant cell, comprising expressing in at least part of the plant or plant tissue or plant cell at least one polynucleotide encoding a VHH specifically binding to a pathogen.

This invention relates to recombinant human antibody molecules. The antibodies bind fungal antigens, for example from Candida spp. Human antibody encoding genes targeting clinically relevant Candida epitopes have been isolated from single B cells from carefully selected donors and screened with specified types of protein or cell wall extract. The panel of purified, fully human recombinant IgG1 mAbs generated displayed a diverse range of specific binding profiles and demonstrated efficacy in a disease model. The fully human mAbs and derivatives thereof have utility in the generation of diagnostics, therapeutics and vaccines.

This invention relates to recombinant human antibody molecules. The antibodies bind fungal antigens, for example from Candida spp. Human antibody encoding genes targeting clinically relevant Candida epitopes have been isolated from single B cells from carefully selected donors and screened with specified types of protein or cell wall extract. The panel of purified, fully human recombinant IgG1 mAbs generated displayed a diverse range of specific binding profiles and demonstrated efficacy in a disease model. The fully human mAbs and derivatives thereof have utility in the generation of diagnostics, therapeutics and vaccines.

This disclosure describes, in one aspect, a method for identifying β-glucan binding to immune cells of a subject. Generally, the method includes obtaining a blood sample from the subject, the blood sample comprising immune cells, adding soluble β-glucan to at least a portion of the blood sample and incubating the mixture under conditions allowing the soluble β-glucan to bind to the immune cells, and detecting soluble β-glucan bound to the immune cells. In another aspect, this disclosure describes a method that generally includes identifying the subject as a low binder of β-glucan, and co-administering to the subject a soluble β-glucan and an antibody preparation capable of converting the subject from a low binder to a high binder.

This disclosure describes, in one aspect, a method for identifying β-glucan binding to immune cells of a subject. Generally, the method includes obtaining a blood sample from the subject, the blood sample comprising immune cells, adding soluble β-glucan to at least a portion of the blood sample and incubating the mixture under conditions allowing the soluble β-glucan to bind to the immune cells, and detecting soluble β-glucan bound to the immune cells. In another aspect, this disclosure describes a method that generally includes identifying the subject as a low binder of β-glucan, and co-administering to the subject a soluble β-glucan and an antibody preparation capable of converting the subject from a low binder to a high binder.

Disclosed herein are methods of detecting microbial infection in mammalian subjects comprising treatment of a sample and detection of galactofuranose (galF)-containing antigenic components utilizing monoclonal antibodies. The methods disclosed provide for pretreatment of biological samples, such as urine samples, to maximize detection of galF antigens and improvement of sensitivity of galF antigen detection assays. The methods include minimizing intelectin-1 binding to galF antigens and improvement of monoclonal antibody binding. The detection methods are useful for identifying the presence of microbial antigens related to bacterial, fungal, and parasitic pathogens, including Streptococcus pneumoniae, Aspergillus species, Fusarium species, Coccidioides species, Cryptococcus species, Histoplasma species, and Leishmania species.

Disclosed herein are methods of detecting microbial infection in mammalian subjects comprising treatment of a sample and detection of galactofuranose (galF)-containing antigenic components utilizing monoclonal antibodies. The methods disclosed provide for pretreatment of biological samples, such as urine samples, to maximize detection of galF antigens and improvement of sensitivity of galF antigen detection assays. The methods include minimizing intelectin-1 binding to galF antigens and improvement of monoclonal antibody binding. The detection methods are useful for identifying the presence of microbial antigens related to bacterial, fungal, and parasitic pathogens, including Streptococcus pneumoniae, Aspergillus species, Fusarium species, Coccidioides species, Cryptococcus species, Histoplasma species, and Leishmania species.

It is provided novel anti-galactofuranose antibodies and their use for diagnosis of and/or treating aspergillosis, and for the design of chimeric antigen receptor T-cells, wherein single chain variable fragment of the antibodies, such as a heavy chain variable region or a light chain variable region, is fused via a spacer and a transmembrane domain to a signaling endodomain to generate an expression cassette that will be integrated into a T cell.

It is provided novel anti-galactofuranose antibodies and their use for diagnosis of and/or treating aspergillosis, and for the design of chimeric antigen receptor T-cells, wherein single chain variable fragment of the antibodies, such as a heavy chain variable region or a light chain variable region, is fused via a spacer and a transmembrane domain to a signaling endodomain to generate an expression cassette that will be integrated into a T cell.

The present invention relates to the preparation of an antibody analogue capable of being activated reversibly, and uses thereof, and provides a fusion protein comprising an inactive first fragment of an antibody analogue is fused to a stimulus-induced dimerization protein.