Human melanoma-specific oncofetal antigen defined by a mouse monoclonal antibody

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Abstract
140.240, an IgG2a mouse monoclonal antibody raised against a cultured human melanoma cell line, was highly specific for melanoma cells as determined by direct and absorption analyses in a mixed hemadsorption assay. Supernatants of doubly cloned hybridomas producing antibody 140.240 reacted with all cultured and fresh melanomas tested but failed to react with a variety of carcinomas, sarcomas, lymphomas, leukemias and other tumors of neuroectodermal origin. This antibody did not react with B‐lymphoid cell lines, ruling out HLA‐DR specificity. Non‐reactivity of antibody 140.240 with peripheral blood lymphocytes obtained from the donor of the immunizing melanoma line excluded the possibility of detecting histocompatibility antigens. Nevus cells were also non‐reactive. However, antibody 140.240 did identify an antigenic determinant on tissue homogenates prepared from fetuses of 10–14 weeks' gestation. The antigen involved was shed by cultured melanoma lines and, by immunoprecipitation analysis of radiolabelled lysates, had a molecular weight of approximately 87kdal. Thus, the structure identified by monoclonal antibody 140.240 is a melanoma‐specific oncofetal antigen.

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