Common neuroectodermal antigens on human melanoma, neuroblastoma, retinoblastoma, glioblastoma and fetal brain revealed by hybridoma antibodies raised against melanoma cells.

The hybridoma system has been utilized to produce antibodies to characterize the cell surface antigens on human melanoma cells. On initial screening, two antibodies derived by the fusion of mouse myeloma cell (SP2/0-Ag14) and splenocytes from a mouse immunized with a melanoma cell line (CaCL 78-1) showed cross-reactivity with 10 melanoma cell lines and did not react with any of 4 epithelial cancer lines, or 4 normal adult fibroblast lines. However, because of reactivity with 2 neuroblastoma cell lines, additional testing with other neuroectodermal derivatives was carried out and revealed a broad cross-reactivity among melanomas, neuroblastomas, retinoblastomas and glioblastomas and against antigens shared by fetal but not adult brain. Thus, these results indicate the existence of common neuroectodermal antigens on melanoma cells. Before melanoma specificity can be claimed for, an antibody reactivity with nonmelanoma cells bearing these neuroectodermal antigen should be excluded.