HYBRIDOMA CORE

Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland OH

Investigators

Linked publications, trials & patents

Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY (See instructions): The Case CCC Hybridoma Core provides a cost-effective resource for generating, producing, and purifying monoclonal or polyclonal antibodies, as well as a repository of optimal technical capabilities and innovation regarding all aspects of antibody use. Highly specific monoclonal antibodies are an essential resource in Identifying the levels of expression, specific modifications, and tissue localization of proteins involved in all the functions that control cell growth, cell differentiation, and cell death. The Hybridoma Core continues to work on new methodology related to monoclonal antibodies. The most promising of these is an in vitro method, unique in that it takes advantage of a mouse knockout model that is expected to yield antibodies with IgG isotypes. In test experiments, spleen cells from these mice have remained highly viable in culture during antigen exposure, and have then been used successfully to perform high efficiency fusions resulting in hybridomas. Most importantly, they have confirmed that all of the hybridomas secrete antibodies with an IgG isotype, and in fact can detect no IgM production. The final steps before the Core offers this novel service will be to generate clones and determine the affinity of the resulting monoclonal. This technique should be particularly useful in developing antibodies against mouse antigens, or any antibodies that could be potentially deleterious to a mouse. It also has the potential to virtually eliminate the need for animal use in generating mouse monoclonal. Highly specific monoclonal antibodies are essential to identifying the functions and interactions of proteins involved in cell growth, cell differentiation and cell death, and therefore constitute a major contribution to cancer research. Since 2007, the Core has generated a total of 50 new monoclonal antibodies, and produced monoclonal in serum-free medium for 139 projects; approximately half of which are cancer-related. It is difficult to quantify the number of peer-reviewed publications the Core has facilitated; however, the number is certain to be an underestimate of its impact, because the usefulness of novel antibodies continues to accumulate over many years and in many different scientific areas. The Core primarily works with members from the Cell Death Regulation and Cancer Cell Signaling Programs producing antibodies to such proteins as: phospho-EI, Np65, K218me, and K221me2.