Interspecies Neural Membrane Antigens on Cultured Human and Murine Neuroblastoma Cells

Abstract

Abstract Cell-surface antigens (CSA) of cultured human and murine neuroblastoma cells were studied serologically to determine if any were common to both species and if any were associated with normal adult neural tissue. Antisera were obtained after immunization of rabbits with: i) cultured murine neuroblastoma cells, ii) cultured human neuroblastoma cells, and iii) human followed by murine neuroblastoma cells. In microcomplement-fixation tests with cultured human cells as targets, some unadsorbed antisera to human or murine neuroblastoma cells had greater reactivity with neuroblastoma than with non-neuroblastoma cell lines. Booster immunization with murine neuroblastoma cells of all rabbits initially immunized with human neuroblastoma cells produced sera with higher titers and greater specificity for human neuroblastoma cells. One serum obtained after such sequential immunization with human and murine neuroblastoma cells was adsorbed sufficiently with non-neural cells and tissues so that it reacted only with neuroblastoma cells in a 125I-protein A-binding test. Anti-human neuroblastoma antibodies in this serum were specifically adsorbed by both some human and some murine neuroblastoma cells and also by the particulate fractions of human and murine brain. Anti-murine neuroblastoma antibodies in this serum were specifically adsorbed by the particulate fraction of human brain. These data define new interspecies cell typespecific CSA present on some cultured human and murine neuroblastomas and on normal adult brain of both species. Antisera to interspecies neural antigens can be readily prepared by sequential immunization with human and then murine neuroblastoma cells.