BISPECIFIC MONOCLONAL-ANTIBODIES TO HUMAN INTERLEUKIN-2 AND HORSERADISH-PEROXIDASE

Hybrid hybridomas (tetradomas), producing bispecific monoclonal antibo dies (bmabs) binding to both interleukin 2 and horseradish peroxidase were obtained by fusing IL 2-specific and HRP-specific hybridomas. Par ental hybridomas were labelled prior to the fusion with fluorescein is othiocyanate and tetramethylrhodamine isothiocyanate. Bifluorescent (t etradoma) cells were sorted out using fluorescence activated cell sort er. Two clones, designated D8C1/G and H7C11/H were shown to secrete bm abs over at least 6 months growth in culture. Bmabs have been purified from mouse ascites by ammonium sulfate precipitation and affinity chr omatography on immobilized peptide, modelling corresponding IL 2 epito pe. The purity of antibodies obtained was characterized by capillary e lectrophoresis. The possibility of using these antibody preparations i n rIL 2 analysis was evaluated in two types of EIA: direct and competi tive solid-phase EIA. Both assays had similar sensitivity of about 1.5 -4 ng IL 2 per ml.