SPECIFIC ANTIBODIES AGAINST MAMMARY TUMOR-ASSOCIATED MUCIN, METHOD FOR PRODUCTION AND USE

摘要

An immunologically active polypeptide which specifically binds to the carbohydrate structure of the MUC1 tandem repeat from carcinoma cells, wherein a) the quotient between the affinity of the said polypeptide for a 200 to 440 kDa glycoprotein fraction from tumor cell-containing ascites of breast cancer patients and for native MUC1 antigen (400 to 440 kDa) from normal cells is 100:1 or more, b) the polypeptide does not bind to nonglycosylated MUC1 antigen, and c) the binding of the polypeptide to the said 200 to 440 kDa glycoprotein fraction changes by 10 % or less if the glycoprotein fraction was treated with neuraminidase to cleave N-terminal neuraminic acids, or with formalin, is specific for MUC1 and is useful in the diagnosis and therapy of breast cancer.