A novel approach for obtaining and identifying monoclonal antibodies that react with differentiation-specific antigens using human hybrid cells.

HeLa X keratinocyte hybrid cells have been used as immunogens to generate monoclonal antibodies against differentiation-specific antigens. A key feature of the experimental system is that the hybrid cells are undifferentiated in culture and yet terminally differentiate in the mouse. The properties of these cells allow one a facile approach to obtaining and characterizing monoclonal antibodies against differentiation-specific antigens. Use of hybrid cells derived from HeLa X differentiated cell fusions as immunogens should prove to be a general method for identifying differentiation-specific antigens from a variety of differentiated cell types.