Abstract
High levels of expression of either the epidermal growth factor receptor or the receptor-like HER2/neu gene product p185HER2 have been observed in a variety of human malignancies. Because of the association of this high level expression with certain human tumors, we have generated a panel of monoclonal antibodies specific for either the epidermal growth factor receptor or p185HER2 to study their structure, function, and antigenic domains in the normal and neoplastic states. We used the epidermoid carcinoma line A431 to generate five monoclonal antibodies which immunoprecipitate the epidermal growth factor receptor. These monoclonal antibodies bind to the extracellular domain of the epidermal growth factor receptor and demonstrate variable effects on epidermal growth factor binding. We used a stably transfected NIH 3T3 cell line expressing the HER2/neu gene to produce and characterize 10 monoclonal antibodies which immunoprecipitate p185HER2. These monoclonal antibodies bind to the extracellular domain of p185HER2 and do not cross-react with the epidermal growth factor receptor. The characteristics and potential applications of these monoclonal antibodies will be discussed.
Footnotes
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↵1 To whom requests for reprints should be addressed, at Department of Medicinal and Analytical Chemistry, Genentech, Inc., 460 Point San Bruno Blvd., San Francisco, CA 94080.
- Received March 30, 1989.
- Revision received July 27, 1989.
- Revision received November 21, 1989.
- Accepted December 4, 1989.
- ©1990 American Association for Cancer Research.
Volume 50, Issue 5
