Human monoclonal antibody developed against a metastasizing paraganglioma: preparation and preclinical studies

A tumor cell line, named HS, was established from a bone metastasis of a patient with metastasizing paraganglioma. In vitro immunization of normal human peripheral blood mononuclear cells by coculturing with viable HS cells, followed by fusion with mouse myeloma cells, yielded a stable human/murine heterohybridoma producing the highly specific monoclonal anti-body KM-155. This MAB KM-155 is a member of the IgG3 subclass and shows no alpha GAL glycosylation that is specific for mouse but not for human antibodies. In pilot preclinical studies it could be demonstrated that MAB KM-155 is highly efficient in targeting a KM-155 antigen-expressing human tumor developing in nu/nu mice after xenografting. Moreover, the growth of KM-155 antigen-expressing human tumors in nu/nu mice was largely inhibited when the concentration of circulating MAB KM-155 was maintained at a high enough level by serial injections.