Expression of IgA Molecules in Mammalian Cells

Although natural IgA antibodies constitute an important immune defense mechanism at serosal surfaces, their immunotherapeutic potential has not been thoroughly explored. Among the limitations hampering the development of therapeutic IgA antibodies is the lack of well established production and purification technologies. Here, we describe protocols to produce and purify recombinant chimeric IgA antibodies irrespective of their antigen specificity. Resulting antibodies were monomeric, fully functional and stable. The obtained production rates and purities will allow further testing e.g. in animal models. Intentionally, we aimed to employ methods similar to those used for IgG production and purification to allow further optimization and up-scaling according to established methods.