Human hybridoma technology

Miroslaw K Gorny

Department of Pathology, New York University Langone School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA

Abstract: In light of recent developments in the production of human monoclonal antibodies, particularly the method based on isolation of immunoglobulin genes from antigen-specific B cells, the hybridoma technology has become obsolete to some extent. However, the method requires a relatively simple procedure at a low cost and has inherently valuable features, including continuous production of the whole molecule of specific antibodies that retain their native structure. Furthermore, several technical improvements, including accessibility to a panel of various partner cells, enhanced Epstein–Barr virus transformation and optimized electroporation, have increased the fusion efficiency for production of hybrids. Finally, a hybridoma-produced monoclonal antibody (mAb) can be used to test whether certain functions of a recombinant mAb, produced by molecular techniques from the same clone of B cells, correspond to the native antibodies. Access to several different methods of mAb production, including hybridoma technology, potentiates our capability to understand the human immune response to various invading pathogens and tumors with the perspective of using the antibodies for diagnosis and therapy.

Keywords: hybridoma, human monoclonal antibody, B cells