Results of a World Health Organization-sponsored workshop to characterize antigens recognized by mycobacterium-specific monoclonal antibodies

Abstract

An international workshop organized and sponsored by the Immunology of Tuberculosis (IMMTUB) component of the World Health Organization (W.H.O.) Vaccine Development Programme to characterize the specificity and reaction patterns of murine monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) raised against various mycobacteria was held in Geneva, 3 to 5 June 1985. A total of 31 MAbs (28 ascites and 3 culture supernatants) generated in nine different laboratories using several mycobacterial antigens for immunization (Mycobacterium tuberculosis, virulent and avirulent strains, M. bovis BCG, and M. leprae) were submitted in early 1985 to the IMMTUB MAb bank located in the W.H.O. Immunology Research and Training Center (W.H.O./I.R.T.C.) in the Department of Pathology, University of Geneva. The samples were coded, aliquoted, and distributed to 12 laboratories for independent analysis by a variety of methods. In addition to the MAbs, several laboratories submitted various mycobacterial antigen preparations for testing. These antigens were derived by three different approaches: preparations eluted from MAb immunoadsorbant columns, an antigen preparation (nonpurified) obtained by recombinant DNA techniques and expressed in Escherichia coli, and a synthetic peptide prepared by conventional solid-state peptide synthesis methods. Subject to available reserves, samples of the IMMTUB mycobacterium-specific MAbs and the recombinant DNA library will be made available to qualified investigators by the contributing scientists, upon receipt of a short (one page) description summarizing the experiments to be conducted.