Human monoclonal antibodies produced from L-leucine methyl ester-treated and in vitro immunized peripheral blood lymphocytes.

Primary in vitro immunization of peripheral blood lymphocytes has been studied for the production of human monoclonal antibodies. Depletion of a lysosome-rich cell population, containing large granular lymphocytes, monocytes, and a subset of T suppressor cells, was shown to be crucial before the cells could be immunized in vitro. The in vitro immunized lymphocytes were used to produce human x human and human x mouse hybridomas secreting monoclonal antibodies specific for digoxin, hemocyanin, or a recombinant fragment of gp120 of human immunodeficiency virus.