Mouse anti-GPS1 monoclonal antibody

We have isolated mutants in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe that are defective in protein glycosylation. A collection of osmotically sensitive mutants was prepared and screened for glycosylation defects using lectin staining as an assay. Mutants singly defective in four glycoprotein synthesis genes (gps1-4) were isolated, all of which bind less galactose-specific lectin. Acid phosphatase and other glycoproteins from the gps mutants have increased electrophoretic mobility, suggesting that these mutants make glycans of reduced size. N-linked glycan analysis revealed that terminal oligosaccharide modification is defective in the gps1 and gps2 mutants. Both mutants synthesize the Man(9)GlcNAc(2) core glycan but have reduced amounts of larger structures. Modified core glycans from gps1 cells have normal amounts of galactose (Gal) residues, but reduced amounts of Man, consistent with a defect in a Golgi mannosyltransferase in this mutant. In contrast, N-linked oligosaccharides from gps2 mutants have much less Gal than wild type, because of reduced levels of the Gal donor, UDP-Gal. This reduction is caused by decreased activity of UDP-glucose 4-epimerase, which synthesizes UDP-Gal. Neither the gps1 or gps2 mutations are lethal, although the cells grow at reduced rates. These findings suggest that S. pombe cells can survive with incompletely glycosylated cell wall glycoproteins. In particular, these results suggest that Gal, which comprises similar to 30% by weight of cell wall glycoprotein glycans, is not crucial for cell growth or survival.

Background and Objective Allergy immunotherapy (AIT) with the SQ (R) grass sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT)-tablet has been shown to be efficacious, well-tolerated and to improve disease-specific health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in controlled clinical trials. The aim of our study was to investigate HRQoL in patients with allergic rhinoconjunctivitis routinely treated with the SLIT-tablet and taking symptomatic medication as needed compared with patients treated only with symptomatic medication. Methods In a non-interventional, open-label study, patients treated with the SLIT-tablet were observed for about 12 months compared with patients only symptomatically treated. Patients assessed their HRQoL with the 12-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-12) and the Rhinitis Quality of Life Questionnaire (RQLQ) in the grass pollen seasons (GPS) at baseline (GPS1, HRQoL1), after GPS1 (HRQoL2) and in the following GPS (GPS2, HRQoL3). Tolerability, compliance, symptoms and medication use were assessed in the SLIT-tablet group by the physician. Results Overall, data were analysed in 576 patients. Mean differences (+/- SD) in overall scores for HRQoL3 versus HRQoL1 (186 patients) of SF-12 were +11.4 +/- 16.8 (SLIT-tablet) and -3.4 +/- 15.7 (symptomatic medication), (p < 0.0001), and of RQLQ -1.31 +/- 1.07 and +0.10 +/- 0.74 (p < 0.001), and for HRQoL3 versus HRQoL2 (238 patients) of SF-12 -1.6 +/- 15.3 and -10.0 +/- 14.1 (p = 0.0003), and of RQLQ +0.22 +/- 1.29 and +1.24 +/- 1.30 (p < 0.0001). Tolerability and adherence for the SLIT-tablet were comparable with data of other non-interventional studies. Conclusions Routine treatment with the SQ (R) grass SLIT-tablet resulted in clear improvements in disease-specific and general quality of life, while no improvements were observed in patients treated only symptomatically.