Production and characterization of human monoclonal antibodies against core protein p25 and transmembrane glycoprotein gp41 of HIV-1

With a view to obtaining human monoclonal antibodies against HIV-1 antigens we used the Epstein-Barr virus immortalization technique to induce lymphoblastoid cell lines from peripheral blood lymphocytes of 10 people who were seropositive for HIV-1 and had no clinical symptoms. A number of polyclonal lines were obtained which synthesized antibodies against most of the major proteins and glycoproteins of HIV-1. Three stable clones were characterized for class, secretion characteristics and specificity. Two of these clones produce antibodies which react with gp41, and the third reacts with p25. One of the anti-gp41 antibodies was found to have neutralizing activity.