Rat monoclonal antibodies. III. A simple method for facilitation of hybridoma cell growth in vivo.

Hybridoma cells that did not grow when injected subcutaneously or intraperitoneally in histocompatible or Rnu/Rnu rats were injected intravenously into histocompatible recipients. Eight of the 9 cell lines injected in this way grew in several organs of the recipient 3-7 weeks later. Hybridoma cells proliferated mainly in the liver. When the liver homogenate of these animals was injected intraperitoneally into histocompatible recipients, hybridoma cells grew readily giving rise to ascites containing the expected monoclonal antibody for 6 of the 9 cell lines.