Monoclonal antibodies to human insulin and their antigen binding behaviour

Mouse monoclonal antibodies were raised against human insulin by somatic cell hybridization using the mouse myeloma line P3-X63-Ag8. Five cell lines were grown as ascites producing tumors. Insulin binding data were determined from six monoclonal antibodies by Scatchard analysis. Each anti-insulin hybridoma antibody gave a straight-line Scatchard plot confirming the homogeneity of their binding sites and their monoclonality. The equilibrium dissociation constants ranged from 2.20 X 10(-8) to 4.48 X 10(-10) mol/l. We could demonstrate positive as well as negative cooperativity of monoclonal insulin antibodies by performing insulin binding studies with defined mixtures of two different anti-insulin hybridoma antibodies.