Monoclonal antibodies to human alpha-interferon and their use for affinity chromatography.

A new screening procedure has been developed and used for the identification of three hybridomas secreting monoclonal antibodies to human leukocyte interferon (IFN-alpha). The screening procedure is based on immune precipitation with a second antibody, acid dissociation of the precipitate, and bioassay of the recovered interferon. This procedure selects for monoclonal antibodies that are suitable for affinity chromatography, as demonstrated by construction of immunoadsorbents from these monoclonal antibodies and purification to homogeneity in IFN-alpha.