Development and functional characterization of a murine/human chimeric antibody with specificity for the human interleukin-2 receptor.

A murine/human chimeric antibody, with specificity for the human interleukin-2 receptor, was developed by genetic engineering. For this purpose, the light and heavy chain variable region exons encoding the murine monoclonal antibody 2C8 were isolated and inserted into expression vectors containing the human kappa and gamma-1 constant regions. After transfection by electroporation of the chimeric genes into murine Sp 2/0 hybridoma cells, transfectomas secreting the complete chimeric antibody were selected. The chimeric antibody has similar binding properties as the original murine antibody. The in vitro cytotoxic effects of the murine and the chimeric antibodies were compared.