Recovery of HIV Monoclonal Antibody Inventory Lost after Hurricane Sandy

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Since the publication of her first paper describing human monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) to HIV-1 in 1989, Dr. Zolla-Pazner has made these reagents available to the HIV research community. To date, more than 100 mAbs have been made and immunochemically and functionally characterized. These include human mAbs derived from the cells of individuals infected with diverse clades, (A, B, C, D, CRF01_AE, CRF02_AG, etc.) with specificities for epitopes in p24, gp41 (clusters 1 and 2), and gp120 (V2, V3, C2, C5, CD4bs, and the V2V3 quaternary neutralizing epitope). In addition, mAbs have been generated that are specific for CMV, MuLV gp70, protective antigen (PA) of anthrax, cholera toxin B, and parvovirus Bl 9 which are frequently used as negative controls for anti-HIV mAbs. For many years, the provision of these mAbs (~200 mg/year) to the AIDS research community was supported by the NYU Center for AIDS Research. Since 2008, partial funding for the provision of these reagents has been provided via a subcontract from Fisher BioServices (FBS-0022C-05) which contracts directly with the NIH to maintain the NIH AIDS Research and Reagent Repository Program (ARRRP). Over 100 mAb-producing lines are frozen in our lab. Supernatants are produced from these lines and stored until requested by the Repository or individual scientists. The supernatants serve as the source material for purifying the needed IgG mAbs which are quantified and subjected to quality control testing prior to being shipped. Sixty-two liters of supernatants from 38 mAb-producing cell lines were in storage at our lab when electricity was lost as a result of Super Storm Sandy (10/29/12). This inventory must be restored in order to continue the provision of these reagents to the HIV research community. This application requests support to replenish this inventory which requires the purchase of the extensive supplies needed for the growth of the many cell lines, and the purification, quantitation and quality assurance testing of the mAbs, along with the salary of a full time, highly qualified and experienced Senior Research Technician who has worked in the PI'S lab for >20 years.