PRODUCTION OF MONOCLONAL-ANTIBODIES BY GENETIC IMMUNIZATION

Genetic immunization is a simple method for producing polyclonal antib odies in mice. To rest if this approach could be used for monoclonal a ntibody production, biolistic transfection was used to immunize a mous e. High levels of polyclonal antibodies against human growth hormone ( hGH) were elicited following three inoculations with the gene for hGH. When hybridoma cells were created SI-om the mouse's spleenocytes, app roxmately 17% secreted antibodies vs. hGH. Of these, some recognized o nly native or denatured hGH, while most recognized both forms of the p rotein. These findings demonstrate the utility of genetic immunization as a method to produce monoclonal antibodies.