Construction of human monoclonal antibodies against rabies NS-protein antigen by Epstein-Barr virus transformation.

A human monoclonal antibody against Rabies NS-protein was developed using peripheral blood lymphocytes. A special immunization protocol was used in order to achieve maximal cell numbers of active secreting B cells. These B cells were subjected to Epstein-Barr virus transformation and the transformed cells were cloned stepwise by limiting dilution using supernatant of stimulated macrophages. Active anti-Rabies-IgG secreting cell clones were adapted to serum-free conditions producing stably for more than one year antibodies of the subtype IgG1 at a rate of 10 micrograms/ml/10(6) cells/24 h.