Human monoclonal antibody with dual GM2/GD2 specificity derived from an immunized melanoma patient.

GM2 ganglioside is a common cell surface constituent of human melanoma and other tumors of neuroectodermal origin, and vaccination with GM2 ganglioside results in high levels of anti-GM2 antibodies in patients with melanoma. Lymphocytes from a GM2-vaccinated patient (VS) were transformed by Epstein-Barr virus and tested for production of antibodies with reactivity for GM2-positive tumor cells. A high percentage of antibody-producing B cells was detected, but antibody reactivity was generally lost during culture expansion. Two cultures, however, remained stable for antibody productivity and one was used to develop a stable hybrid line with mouse myeloma. The monoclonal antibody (designated 3-207) derived from patient VS has dual specificity for GM2 and GD2, despite the fact that only GM2 antibody could be detected in the patient's serum. Monoclonal antibody 3-207 shows high-titered reactivity with a range of melanoma, astrocytoma, neuroblastoma, and leukemia cell lines, cells with prominent cell surface expression of GM2 and GD2. The cell surface reactivity of monoclonal antibody 3-207 was not abolished by treatment of target cells with neuraminidase, as the enzyme converted GD2 to GM2, which was still detected by monoclonal antibody 3-207.