SCREENING FOR ANTIBODIES WHICH BIND CARBOHYDRATE EPITOPES OF TUMOR-ASSOCIATED ANTIGENS, AND USES THEREOF

摘要

Cells which produce antibodies which bind carbohydrateepitopes of glycoproteins are identified by screening withmucinous body fluids in raw, or preferably partially purified,form. Fine differences in antibody specificity may bedetected by further screening with mucinous body fluidstreated to alter the carbohydrate epitope interest, e.g.,removal of sialic acid from a sialosyl Lewis-a epitope. Theselected antibodies may be used in immunopurification,immunodiagnosis and immunotherapy.By this method, antibodies have been found whose bindingto carbohydrate epitopes such as sialosyl Lewis-a isrelatively insensitive to pH. Such antibodies are ofparticular value in immunological methods where pH is aconsideration.