Surface-epitope masking (SEM): an immunological subtraction approach for developing monoclonal antibodies targeting surface-expressed molecules.

An immunological subtraction approach, surface-epitope masking (SEM), is described that permits the efficient and selective production of monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) reacting with both known and unknown molecules expressed on the cell surface. The tenet underlying SEM involves blocking (masking) of shared antigens between two target populations, a "driver" and a "tester," and using appropriately modified surface-masked "tester" cells to generate MAbs reacting with surface antigens unique to the "tester population" that differentiate the two antigen sources. SEM has been employed to develop MAbs that react with the multidrug resistance surface-expressed P-glycoprotein (MDR-1) and the human interferon-gamma receptor and two potentially novel tumor-associated antigens (TAAs) expressed on the surface of prostate carcinoma and breast carcinoma cells. In principle, the SEM approach provides an uncomplicated and effective means of developing MAbs, which can also be used to identify genes, associated with important cellular processes involved in normal physiology, such as growth, aging, differentiation, and development. In addition, this strategy is amenable to produce MAbs and identify genes associated with specific disease states, including cancer, neurodegeneration, autoimmunity, and infection with pathogenic agents.