Monoclonal antibodies specific for human basal cell and malignant squamous cell protein, hybridomas therefor, malignancy test methods and diagnostic kits

摘要

The present invention is concerned with novel monoclonal antibodies specific for an antigenic site on a protein characteristic of a human basal cell and a malignant squamous cell. The antibodies do not bind to mesenchymal cells such as fribro- blasts and endothelial cells. The protein on the cell surface which binds to one of the antibodies has a molecular weight of about 120,000 as determined by one dimensional gel electrophoresis. The antibodies find use in diagnostic methods such as the detection of malignant cells, e.g., the detection of residual tumor cells in skin subjected to microscopically-controlled surgery. The invention is also concerned with the use of such antibodies in determining the presence of a malignant condition in exfoliate cell specimens, thus having utility, for example, in the detection of cervical carcinoma.