A new procedure for establishing functional monoclonal antibodies capable of inhibiting E- or P-selectin-dependent cell adhesion

Employing a new procedure, we established many monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) which inhibit E- or P-selectin-dependent cell adhesion. One of these mAbs is capable of staining selectin in paraffin-embedded histological sections. The procedure is based on immunization of BALB/c mice with irradiated mouse myeloma NS-1 cells (syngeneic HAT-sensitive fusion partner cells) transfected with cDNA encoding human E- or P-selectin. Resulting NS-1 transfectant cells permanently express human E- or P-selectin as immunogen. The mAbs are useful for detecting selectins by flow cytometric and immunohistological methods, and for inhibiting selectin-dependent adhesion in experimental models. In contrast, the majority of anti-selectin mAbs previously established do not have these capabilities. Abbreviations: Ig, immunoglobulin; mAb, monoclonal antibody