ABSTRACT
Since the introduction of the cell fusion technique between a suitable myeloma cell and a lymphoid cell from an immunized animal, 1 specific monoclonal antibodies (MAb) have been produced in numerous laboratories. The most common animal model is the mouse × mouse model. The first report of rat × rat hybridoma was published in 1979 by Galfré et al. 2 Compared with the mouse × mouse model, the rat × rat hybridoma system has some advantages for the preparation of antigen-specific MAb, (1) the antibody-generating repertoire of the rat is different from that of the mouse; (2) rats are approximately ten times bigger than mice, so that they can give a mean production of 50 to 150 mg of MAb per animal, whereas the production in mice is only about 25 mg per animal; (3) the rat MAb is easy to purify from the ascitic fluid or serum by immunoaffinity chromatography; and (4) rat antibodies of IgG 1, IgG2a, and IgG2b isotypes can easily fix the human complement. However, long immunization schedules for soluble antigens are usually needed. The best results are obtained with a rest time of 4 to 8 months between the primary immunization and the booster before fusion.
