Retroviruses Produced by Hybridomas

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Abstract
To the Editor: In a letter in the June 10 issue, Bartal et al.1 expressed concern over the clinical use of mouse monoclonal antibodies, because they observed A-type and C-type particles characteristic of retroviruses in electron micrographs of hybridoma cells. It is well known that murine plasmacytomas synthesize abundant A-type particles,2 , 3 which are not infectious. The production of infectious C-type particles by plasmacytomas has also been reported.4 The A-type and C-type particles represent two distinct classes of retroviruses activated in lymphoid cells from inherited, "endogenous" viral genomes.5 In my laboratory 17 independently isolated hybridoma clones producing monoclonal antibodies specific to . . .