Hybridoma cells were derived from a mouse immunized with freshly obtained primary human uveal melanoma cells. Supernatants from the resultant hybridoma clones were screened for positive antibody binding to uveal melanoma cell membranes and negative binding to membrane preparations of fibroblasts, retinal and uveal cells of healthy donors using sandwich radioimmunoassay and indirect immunofluorescence. Extensive specificity tests showed that the antibodies produced by ten clones bound strongly to fresh, and/or short-time cultivated primary human uveal melanoma tumour cells (UMEL-H, UMEL-K). Weaker binding occurred in a human uveal melanoma cell line (VUP-1), and/or in human skin melanoma cell lines (HMB-2, B-HM8). Binding assay of carcinoma cells, fibroblasts, uveal and retinal cells was negative. Intensive screening of this type is now under way.

Cancer Research Institute Slovak Academy of Sciences Bratislava