Development and application of a new immunostaining technique for human oral carcinomas transplanted in nude mice

Abstract

We developed a new immunostaining technique specifically for detecting human tumors transplanted into nude mice and produced monoclonal antibodies (MoAbs) against human oral squamous cell carcinomas (SCC) transplanted into nude mice. The formation of a molecular complex consisting of three components (mouse MoAb (or hybridoma supernatant), biotin-labeled anti-mouse immunoglobulins, and normal nude mouse serum) markedly reduced background staining and enhanced specific reaction with transplanted tumor. When MoAb production by electrofusion was screened with this new method, the incidence of hybridoma supernatant reactive with sections of the transplanted tumor was 2.3 per 100 wells immunostained. These results suggest that production of MoAbs using transplanted tumors is immunohistochemically possible and this method may provide a new means for developing useful tumor markers.