SCREENING OF MONOCLONAL-ANTIBODIES RECOGNIZING ONCOFETAL ANTIGENS FORISOLATION OF TROPHOBLASTS FROM MATERNAL BLOOD FOR PRENATAL-DIAGNOSIS

Many monoclonal antibodies have been produced against tumour-associate d cell surface antigens for cancer therapy. They have therefore been s elected for minimal reactivity with normal tissues and in particular f or lack of binding to blood cells or serum components. Many of the ant igens recognized are of fetal origin. These monoclonal antibodies may therefore be ideal candidates to recognize and sort fetal trophoblasts from maternal blood for prenatal diagnosis of genetic abnormalities. A panel of 19 anti-tumour antibodies were therefore screened for react ivity with early trimester placenta and two, 340 and 154, were shown t o stain trophoblasts. If MAb 340 is linked to magnetic beads, it can e fficiently sort trophoblast cell lines from whole blood.