Production of a human monoclonal antibody reactive against verotoxin-1

grantor: University of TorontoVerotoxins are produced during E. coli O157:H7 infections and are associated with hemorrhagic colitis and hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). The elderly and very young children are most likely to develop complications such as HUS, which can lead to severe renal damage or death. HUS is too infrequent to justify the expense of immunizing entire populations, however, the development of an immunotherapy would be very useful during E. coli O157:H7 outbreaks in closed populations such as daycare centres and nursing homes and for isolated cases of E. coli O157:H7 infections. Passive immunization of people at risk of developing HUS would be made possible by the development of human monoclonal antibodies directed against verotoxins. In this study, immunoglobulin (Ig) genes from human antibodies specific for verotoxin-1 were subcloned during the construction of a combinatorial library of Ig heavy and light chains using a recombinant phage antibody system. This is the first step in the production of human monoclonal antibodies that may have therapeutic value in the treatment of E. coli O157:H7 infections.M.Sc