Current Methodologies in Hybridoma Formation

Hybridoma formation, once considered to involve a complex, difficult-to-master technology (1), has in recent years become an almost commonplace method widely employed to generate reagents for biomedical research. It has been estimated that nearly 10,000 monoclonal antibodies are now being isolated each year (2,3). This is probably a conservative figure. Unfortunately, available methods for the preparation of these antibodies are still cumbersome, so that the cost of production of a single useful reagent exceeds $20,000 (3). A central data bank to collect and store information on such antibodies on an international basis has been established by CODATA (Commission of the International Council of Scientific Unions) and IUIS (International Union of Immunological Societies). The central office of this bank is located at the American Type Culture Collection, Bethesda, Maryland.