Monoclonal antibody to human cancer antigen and method for producing same

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a monoclonal antibody of the IgM class which reacts with a glycoprotein antigen having a molecular weight by gel filtration of 1,000,000 or higher, the antigenic determinant to be recognized being a sugar chain with a sialic acid residue at the end thereof. The monoclonal antibody has the following characteristics: (1) a reactivity with human cancers of stomach, large intestine, pancreas, breast, lung, biliary duct, uterus and esophagus; (2) a reactivity with normal human submaxillary gland, proximal renal tubule, bronchial gland, squamous epithelial corneum, pancreatic Langerhans' islands, liver cell membrane and duodenal gland; (3) a reactivity with human intestinal metaplastic gastric mucosa; and (4) a non-reactivity with normal human prostate gland, biliary duct and pancreatic duct. Also provided in the invention is a method for production of monoclonal antibodies. The method comprises administering or implanting cancer cells or tissue to an animal having no thymus, propagating the cells or tissue in the animal, administering T cells or both T cells and B cells to the animal, taking antibody-producing B cells from the animal, fusing the B cells with myeloma cells, selecting fused cells producing an antibody against the cancer cells or tissue, cloning the fused cells, and culturing the cloned fused cell.