Anti-cancer Antibodies Specific to Tumor-associated Antigens Expressed on All Epithelial Carcinomas

Inventor:    Magdalena Thurin

Tech ID:    TM-01RR

Description: Human tumors have been shown to accumulate large quantities of abnormal carbohydrate surface structures, which represent oncodevelopmentally regulated antigens. Specifically, carbohydrate structures expressed by human adenocarcinomas represent the blood group antigens ( Lea, Leb, LeX, LeY, H-2, B-1, B-2 ). GD2 and GD3 gangliosides have been identified to be specifically expressed in human melanoma. Wistar scientists have isolated numerous antibodies secreted by hybridomas derived from the immunization of mice with live tumor cells. Hybridomas with restricted reactivities were selected, subcloned and the secreted antibodies have been tested on a variety of tumor and normal cells. The antibodies demonstrate extreme specificity to tumor-associated antigens expressed on all epithelial carcinomas (breast cancer, prostate cancer, gastrointestinal cancer and lung cancer) and neuroectodermal tumors. The Wistar-developed antibodies described herein provide excellent tools for the identification of tumor-associated antigens and blood group antigens.

Antibodies That Bind to GD2 and GD3 Gangliosides

• Monoclonal antibodies ME311 and ME361 are produced by a hybridoma derived from mice immunized with human melanoma cells.

  Reactivity: ME361 detects GD2 and to a lesser extent, GD3, and ME311 detects a 9-O-acetylated GD3 ganglioside.

  Reference(s): Thurin, J, Thurin, M, Kimoto, Y, Herlyn, M, Lubeck, MD, Elder, DE, Smereczynska, M, Karlsson, KA, Clark, WH, Jr, Steplewski, Z, and Koprowski, H: Monoclonal antibody-defined correlation in melanoma between levels of GD2 and GD3 antigens and antibody-mediated cytotoxicity. Cancer Research, 47:1229-1233, 1986.
  
  Thurin, J, Herlyn, M, Hindsgaul, O, Stromberg, N, Karlsson, KA, Elder, DE, Steplewski, Z and Koprowski, H: Proton-NMR and Fast-atom bombardment mass spectrometry of the melanoma-associated ganglioside 9-O-acetyl GD3. Journal of Biological Chemistry,. 260: 14556-14563, 1985.
  

Keywords/Industrial Relevance: Antibody; monoclonal antibodies; tumor antigens; tumor markers; brain tumors; breast cancer; gastrointestinal cancer; lung cancer; prostate cancer; immunopathology; cancer diagnostic.

Contact:

Meryle J. Melnicoff, Ph.D.
Director, Business Development The Wistar Institute
Phone: (215) 898-0049
melnicoff@wistar.org