ELECTRIC FIELD-INDUCED CELL-FUSION AND HUMAN MONOCLONAL-ANTIBODIES JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGICAL METHODS Foung, S. K., Perkins, S. 1989; 116 (1): 117-122

Abstract

A persistent problem in the generation of antigen-specific human monoclonal antibodies is the rarity of appropriate B cells in human blood or splenic tissues. In order to immortalize the rare antigen-specific cells that are available, an electric field-induced cell fusion technique has been shown to markedly increase the fusion efficiency in comparison to polyethylene glycol-induced cell fusion using Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) or pokeweed mitogen activated B cells. Fusion efficiency of 10(-3)-10(-4) has been achieved by this process with as low as 1 X 10(6) input EBV-activated B cells. A panel of human monoclonal antibodies to human cytomegalovirus has subsequently been produced using this technique. This improvement should enable wider therapeutic and diagnostic applications of human monoclonal antibodies.

View details for Web of Science ID A1989R695200014

View details for PubMedID 2536773