A DNA-based immunization protocol to produce monoclonal antibodies to blood group antigens

A major challenge facing transfusion medicine is the establishment of immun ological methods to produce specific and avid blood group typing reagents t o the many polymorphic blood group antigens, This is especially true when s ources of human antibody are limited. Based on the knowledge that inoculati on with plasmid DNA can induce a humoral response in the host animal, we in oculated mice with plasmid DNA followed by a single boost injection with pl asmid-transfected cells that have a high level of expression of the same ta rget protein. Using this method, several hybridoma clones that produced str ongly reactive antibodies specific for the Kell polymorphic antigens (anti- K, anti-k, anti-Kp(a)) were isolated, The monoclonal antibodies that were p roduced with this method have potential clinical utility for identifying a patient's blood type and for screening for antigen-negative donor blood.