New anti-GD2 monoclonal antibodies produced from gamma-interferon-treated neuroblastoma cells.

Three monoclonal antibodies (IgG2) have been produced from hybridomas obtained by fusion of murine myeloma cells and spleen cells of mice hyperimmunized with gamma-interferon-treated neuroblastoma cells. The 3 MAbs, 7A4, 2A6 and IG8, detected an antigen present on neuroblastoma tumors and cell lines, but also on some neuro-ectoderm-derived tissues and cells. All 3 clones were shown to react with an epitope of the di-sialo-ganglioside GD2 molecules highly expressed by some neuro-ectoderm-derived tumors, mainly neuroblastoma. Whereas MAb IG8 specificity was restricted to GD2 and its o-acylated form, MAb 2A6 and 7A4 were also able to detect GD3 at high concentration of antibody as shown by TLC analysis and immunodetection. The 3 MAbs were able to lyse 100% neuroblastoma cells in the presence of rabbit or human complement. Direct binding assays with 125I-labelled MAbs showed that MAb 7A4 might be a good candidate for in vivo immunolocalization experiments. The high proportion of anti-GD2 MAbs obtained by our fusion and the increased binding of anti-GD2 MAbs on gamma-IFN-treated neuroblastoma cells suggests a modulation of the exposure and an increase in the immunogenicity of GD2 induced by gamma-IFN.