Anti-urokinase monoclonal antibodies and process for preparing the same

Claim 2

A process for producing anti-urokinase antibodies, comprising: fusing an anti-urokinase antibody-producing cell and a myeloma cell to provide a fused cell hybrid, propagating said hybrid and collecting anti-urokinase antibodies produced by said hybrid, wherein said anti-urokinase antibody-producing cell is obtained from an animal immunized with human urokinase having a molecular weight of about 54,000 daltons.

Claim 3

The process of claim 1 wherein said monoclonal antibody belongs to the IgGl subclass and has a molecular weight of from 140,000 to 180,000 daltons and an isoelectric point of from 5.0 to 6.5.

Claim 4

The process of claim 1 wherein said hybrid is propagated in vitro.

Claim 5

The process of claim 1 wherein said hybrid is propagated in vivo.

Claim 6

The process of claim 1 wherein said anti-urokinase antibody-producing cell is selected from the group consisting of spleen cells and lymph node cells.

Claim 7

The process of claim 5 wherein said spleen is mouse spleen and said myeloma is mouse myeloma.

Claim 8

A process for producing anti-urokinase antibodies, comprising: injecting a BALB/c mouse with a human urokinase having a molecular weight of about 54,000 daltons to induce formation of anti-urokinase antibody-producing cells of said mouse, forming a fused cell hybrid of said anti-urokinase antibody-producing cells with P3x63Ag8Ul myeloma cells, culturing said hybrid in vitro in selective HAT medium to isolate said hybrid, propagating said isolated hybrid and harvesting the antibodies produced by said hybrid.

Claim 9

A process for producing anti-urokinase antibodies, comprising: injecting a BALB/c mouse with a human urokinase having a molecular weight of about 54,000 daltons to induce formation of anti-urokinase antibody-producing cells of said mouse, forming a fused cell hybrid of said anti-urokinase antibody-producing cells with P3x63Ag8Ul myeloma cells, culturing said hybrid in vitro in selective HAT medium to isolate said hybrid, propagating said isolated hybrid and harvesting the antibodies produced by said hybrid.

Claim 10

The process of claim 7 wherein said hybrid is propagated in vitro.

Claim 11

The process of claim 7 wherein said hybrid is propagated in vivo.

Claim 12

Anti-urokinase antibodies produced by the method of claim 1.

Claim 13

A method for diagnostically testing for urokinase, comprising: mixing anti-urokinase antibodies produced by the method of claim 1 with a solution suspected of containing urokinase, and detecting the interaction of said antibodies and urokinase.

Claim 14

A method for separating urokinase from a biological sample, comprising: contacting a biological sample containing urokinase with an antibody produced by the method of claim 1 and having affinity for said urokinase to form an antibody-urokinase complex, and separating the antibody-urokinase complex from the biological sample.

Claim 15

The method of claim 12, further comprising dissociating the antibody-urokinase complex to obtain purified urokinase.

Claim 16

A method for separating and recovering anti-urokinase monoclonal antibodies from a fluid, comprising: contacting a fluid containing anti-urokinase monoclonal antibodies produced by the method of claim 1 with an insoluble matrix having urokinase attached thereto to form a monoclonal antibody-urokinase complex, separating the antibody-urokinase complex from the fluid, and dissociating the antibody-urokinase complex to obtain purified urokinase.

Claim 17

A monoclonal antibody belongs to the IgGl subclass and has a molecular weight of from 140,000 to 180,000 daltons and an isoelectric point of from 5.0 to 6.5.

Claim 18

A monoclonal antibody belongs to the IgGl subclass and has a molecular weight of from 140,000 to 180,000 daltons and an isoelectric point of from 5.0 to 6.5.