The present invention relates to a process for the enzymatic modification of a glycoprotein. The process comprises the step of contacting a glycoprotein comprising a glycan comprising a terminal GlcNAc-moiety, in the presence of glycosyltransferase that is, or is derived from, a β-(1,4)-N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferase, with a non-natural sugar-derivative nucleotide. The non-natural sugar-derivative nucleotide is according to formula (3):

##STR00001##

wherein A is selected from the group consisting of —N.sub.3, —C(O)R.sup.3, —(CH.sub.2).sub.iC≡C—R.sup.4, —SH, —SC(O)R.sup.8, —SC(O)OR.sup.8, —SC(S)OR.sup.8, —F, —Cl, —Br —I, —OS(O).sub.2R.sup.5, terminal C.sub.2-C.sub.24 alkenyl groups, C.sub.3-C.sub.5 cycloalkenyl groups, C.sub.4-C.sub.8 alkadienyl groups, terminal C.sub.3-C.sub.24 allenyl groups and amino groups. The invention further relates to a glycoprotein obtainable by the process according to the invention, to a bioconjugate that can be obtained by conjugating the glycoprotein with a linker-conjugate, and to β-(1,4)-N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferases that can be used in preparing the glycoprotein according to the invention.

The present invention relates to a method for promoting diversification of variable regions of an antibody. Specifically, the present invention relates to a method for promoting diversification of the amino acid sequences of variable regions of an antibody generated by an avian B cell population, wherein the method comprises suppressing the PI3Kα activity of each avian B cell comprised in the avian B cell population expressing the antibody.

This document provides novel compositions and methods utilizing immunomodulating agents that can stimulate or indirectly augment the immune system, or can have an immunosuppressive effect. TNFR25 agonists disclosed herein have an anti-inflammatory and healing effect. They can be used, e.g., to treat disease caused by asthma and chronic inflammation, such as inflammatory bowel diseases including ulcerative colitis and Crohn's Disease. TNFR25 antagonists disclosed herein can inhibit CD8 T cell-mediated cellular immune responses and can, for example, mitigate organ or tissue rejection following a tissue transplantation. TNFR25 agonists disclosed herein represent biological response modifiers that alter the interaction between the body's cellular immune defenses and cancer cells to boost, direct, or restore the body's ability to fight the cancer when given with tumor vaccines. TNFR25 specific immunotoxins disclosed herein are also capable of increasing the effectiveness of a chemotherapeutic regimen by depleting a cancer patient of naturally occurring immunosuppressive cells.

There is provided a motif-specific, context-independent antibody that specifically binds a recurring, modified motif consisting of (i) at least one sumoylated lysine residue, and (ii) one or more degenerate amino acids bound by a peptide bond to said sumoylated lysine residue, said antibody specifically binding said motif in a plurality of non-homologous peptides or proteins within an organism in which it recurs. Also provided is a motif-specific, context-independent antibody that specifically binds a recurring, modified motif consisting of (i) a C-terminal aspartic acid residue, and (ii) one or more degenerate amino acids bound by a peptide bond to said C-terminal aspartic acid residue, said antibody specifically binding said motif in a plurality of non-homologous peptides or proteins within an organism in which it recurs.

The present disclosure relates to compositions comprising antibody variants, for treating interleukin 5 (IL-5) mediated diseases, and related methods.

Methods and systems for autoinduction of gene expression, without the need to add exogenous inducers. A dual genetic element system, which includes a first, high copy number genetic element comprising a first gene of interest that is under the control of an inducible promoter, and a second, low copy number genetic element comprising a gene encoding a transcriptional factor which, upon expression, regulates transcription from the inducible promoter, wherein activation of transcription from the inducible promoter does not require addition of an exogenous inducer.

Provided herein are methods of determining product quality of an antibody composition, wherein the ADCC activity level of the antibody composition is a criterion upon which product quality of the antibody composition is based. In exemplary embodiments, the method comprises (i) determining the total afucosylated (TAF) glycan content of a sample of an antibody composition; and (ii) determining the product quality as acceptable and/or achieving the ADCC activity level criterion when the TAF glycan content determined in (i) is within a target range. Related methods of monitoring product quality and methods of producing an antibody composition are further provided herein.

The present disclosure relates to improved methods and compositions for making extracellular vesicles (EVs). The present disclosure also relates to novel EV-based ELISA assays and kits for performing such assays, as well as methods of producing antibodies to particular antigens using EVs comprising membrane-bound antigen.

Provided is a method for producing a composition containing a polypeptide with suppressed coloring, the method comprising the steps of (a) culturing eukaryotic cells containing a nucleic acid encoding a polypeptide in a cell culture medium free of vitamin B12; and (b) collecting a composition containing the polypeptide from the culture.

The invention provides a method for producing a host cell protein-(HCP) reduced antibody preparation from a mixture comprising an antibody and at least one HCP, comprising an ion exchange separation step wherein the mixture is subjected to a first ion exchange material, such that the HCP-reduced antibody preparation is obtained.