Protective murine monoclonal antibodies to tetanus toxin

Monoclonal antibodies against tetanus toxin were generated by fusion of mouse NS-1 myeloma cells with spleen cells from BALB/C mice immunized with tetanus toxoid. Twenty seven hybridomas against tetanus toxin were obtained. Six hybridoma clones, designated as 1A6B12, 1H7D9, 3A8G9, 3A9F2, 3F9H9, 4A6D11 were selected for further studies. All of them were IgG1, k chain and bound specifically to tetanus toxin and toxoid. All six clones were injected intraperitoneally into pristane-primed BALB/C mice. Antibodies with titer up to 10(6) were obtained in the ascites. Results obtained from in vivo neutralization test showed that 1A6B12, 3A8G9, 3F9H9, 4A6D11 mAbs did have neutralizing activities against tetanus toxin. Monoclonal antibody 4A6D11 had the strongest neutralizing activity. 4A6D11 were purified from ascites by DEAE-52 ion exchange chromatography. Comparing to U.S.A. standard antitetanus toxin antiserum, 50 micrograms purified 4A6D11 mAb had 1 international unit neutralizing activity. The purified 4A6D11 mAb was also coupled to cyanogen bromide-activated sepharose to make an affinity column. Pure tetanus toxin can be obtained by passing crude tetanus toxin through this column and eluting the adsorbed toxin with 4M urea. Large scale purified tetanus toxin could be obtained by this method.