NATIONAL ACADEMY PRESS
2101 Constitution Avenue, N.W. Washington, DC 20418
NOTICE: The project that is the subject of this report was approved by the Governing Board of the National Research Council, whose members are drawn from the councils of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine. The members of the committee responsible for the report were chosen for their special competences and with regard for appropriate balance.
This study was supported by Contract No. N0-OD-4-2139 between the National Academy of Sciences and the National Institutes of Health. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the organizations or agencies that provided support for the project.
Additional copies of this report are available from:
National Academy Press
2101 Constitution Ave., NW Box 285 Washington, DC 20055 800-624-6242 202-334-3313 (in the Washington metropolitan area) www.nap.edu
Copyright 1999 by the National Academy of Sciences
Printed in the United States of America
Committee on Methods of Producing Monoclonal Antibodies
PETER A. WARD (Chair),
Department of Pathology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan
JANE ADAMS,
Juvenile Diabetes Foundation, Washington, DC
DENISE FAUSTMAN, Immunology Laboratories,
Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, Massachusetts
GERALD F. GEBHART,
Department of Pharmacology, University of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City, Iowa
JAMES G. GEISTFELD,
Laboratory Animal Medicine, Taconic Farms, Germantown, New York
JOHN W. IMBARATTO,
Cell Culture Manufacturing, Covance Biotechnology Services, Inc., Research Triangle Park, North Carolina
NORMAN C. PETERSON,
Department of Clinical Studies, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
FRED QUIMBY,
Center for Laboratory Animal Resources, Cornell University Veterinary College, Ithaca, New York
ANN MARSHAK-ROTHSTEIN,
Department of Microbiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts
ANDREW N. ROWAN,
Humane Society of the United States, Washington, DC
MATTHEW D. SCHARFF,
Department of Cell Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York
Staff
RALPH B. DELL, Director
KATHLEEN A. BEIL, Administrative Assistant
SUSAN S. VAUPEL, Managing Editor, ILAR Journal
MARSHA K. WILLIAMS, Project Assistant
NORMAN GROSSBLATT, Editor
Institute for Laboratory Animal Research Council
JOHN VANDEBERG (Chair),
Southwest Foundation for Biomedical Research, San Antonio, Texas
CHRISTIAN R. ABEE,
Department of Comparative Medicine, University of South Alabama, Mobile, Alabama
BENNETT DYKE,
Southwest Foundation for Biomedical Research, San Antonio, Texas
ROSEMARY W. ELLIOTT,
Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, New York
GERALD F. GEBHART,
Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa
HILTON J. KLEIN,
Department of Laboratory Animal Resources, Merck Research Laboratories, West Point, Pennsylvania
MARGARET LANDI,
Department of Laboratory Animal Science, SmithKline Beecham Pharmaceuticals, King of Prussia, Pennsylvania
CHARLES R. MCCARTHY,
Kennedy Institute of Ethics, Georgetown University, Washington, DC
HARLEY MOON,
Veterinary Medical Research Institute, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa
WILLIAM MORTON,
Regional Primate Research Center, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
ROBERT J. RUSSELL,
Harlan Sprague Dawley, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana
WILLIAM S. STOKES,
Environmental Toxicology Program, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina
JOHN G. VANDENBERGH,
Department of Zoology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina
PETER A. WARD,
Department of Pathology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan
THOMAS WOLFLE,
Annapolis, Maryland
JOANNE ZURLO,
Center for Alternatives to Animal Testing, Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland
Staff
RALPH B. DELL, Director
KATHLEEN A. BEIL, Administrative Assistant
SUSAN S. VAUPEL, Managing Editor, ILAR Journal
MARSHA K. WILLIAMS, Project Assistant
Commission on Life Sciences
MICHAEL T. CLEGG (Chair),
College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, University of California, Riverside, California
PAUL BERG (Vice Chair),
Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California
FREDERICK R. ANDERSON,
Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft, Washington, DC
JOHN C. BAILAR III,
Department of Health Studies, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
JOANNA BURGER,
Division of Life Sciences, Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey
SHARON L. DUNWOODY,
School of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin
DAVID EISENBERG,
University of California, Los Angeles, California
JOHN L. EMMERSON,
Eli Lilly and Co. (ret.), Indianapolis, Indiana
NEAL L. FIRST,
Department of Animal Science, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin
DAVID J. GALAS,
Chiroscience R&D, Inc., Bothell, Washington
DAVID V. GOEDDEL,
Tularik, Inc., South San Francisco, California
ARTURO GOMEZ-POMPA,
Department of Botany and Plant Sciences, University of California, Riverside, California
COREY S. GOODMAN,
Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California
HENRY W. HEIKKINEN,
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Northern Colorado, Greeley, Colorado
BARBARA S. HULKA,
Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
HANS J. KENDE,
MSU-DOE Plant Research Laboratory, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan
CYNTHIA J. KENYON,
Department of Biochemistry, University of California, San Francisco, California
MARGARET G. KIDWELL,
Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona
BRUCE R. LEVIN,
Department of Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
OLGA F. LINARES,
Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Miami, Florida
DAVID M. LIVINGSTON,
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts
DONALD R. MATTISON,
March of Dimes, White Plains, New York
ELLIOT M. MEYEROWITZ,
Division of Biology, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California
ROBERT T. PAINE,
Department of Zoology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
RONALD R. SEDEROFF,
Department of Forestry, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina
ROBERT R. SOKAL,
Department of Ecology and Evolution, State University of New York at Stony Brook, New York
CHARLES F. STEVENS, MD,
The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, California
SHIRLEY M. TILGHMAN,
Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey
JOHN L. VANDEBERG,
Southwest Foundation for Biomedical Research, San Antonio, Texas
RAYMOND L. WHITE,
Department of Oncological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah
Staff
MYRON UMAN,
Acting Executive Director
The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit, self-perpetuating society of distinguished scholars engaged in scientific and engineering research, dedicated to the furtherance of science and technology and to their use for the general welfare. Upon the authority of the charter granted to it by the Congress in 1863, the Academy has a mandate that requires it to advise the federal government on scientific and technical matters. Dr. Bruce M. Alberts is president of the National Academy of Sciences.
The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964, under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences, as a parallel organization of outstanding engineers. It is autonomous in its administration and in the selection of its members, sharing with the National Academy of Sciences the responsibility for advising the federal government. The National Academy of Engineering also sponsors engineering programs aimed at meeting national needs, encourages education and research, and recognizes the superior achievements of engineers. Dr. William A. Wulf is president of the National Academy of Engineering.
The Institute of Medicine was established in 1970 by the National Academy of Sciences to secure the services of eminent members of appropriate professions in the examination of policy matters pertaining to the health of the public. The Institute acts under the responsibility given to the National Academy of Sciences by its congressional charter to be an adviser to the federal government and, upon its own initiative, to identify issues of medical care, research, and education. Dr. Kenneth I. Shine is president of the Institute of Medicine.
The National Research Council was organized by the National Academy of Sciences in 1916 to associate the broad community of science and technology with the Academy's purposes of furthering knowledge and advising the federal government. Functioning in accordance with general policies determined by the Academy, the Council has become the principal operating agency of both the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering in providing services to the government, the public, and the scientific and engineering communities. The Council is administered jointly by both Academies and the Institute of Medicine. Dr. Bruce M. Alberts and Dr. William A. Wulf are chairman and vice chairman, respectively, of the National Research Council.
This page in the original is blank. |
Preface
Monoclonal antibodies (mAb) are used extensively in basic biomedical research, in diagnosis of disease, and in treatment of illnesses, such as infections and cancer. Antibodies are important tools used by many investigators in their research and have led to many medical advances.
Producing mAb requires immunizing an animal, usually a mouse; obtaining immune cells from its spleen; and fusing the cells with a cancer cell (such as cells from a myeloma) to make them immortal, which means that they will grow and divide indefinitely. A tumor of the fused cells is called a hybridoma, and these cells secrete mAb. The development of the immortal hybridoma requires the use of animals; no commonly accepted nonanimal alternatives are available.
An investigator who wishes to study a particular protein or other molecule selects a hybridoma cell line that secretes mAb that reacts strongly with that protein or molecule. The cells must grow and multiply to form a clone that will produce the desired mAb. There are two methods for growing these cells: injecting them into the peritoneal cavity of a mouse or using in vitro cell-culture techniques. When injected into a mouse, the hybridoma cells multiply and produce fluid (ascites) in its abdomen; this fluid contains a high concentration of anti-body. The mouse ascites method is inexpensive, easy to use, and familiar.
However, if too much fluid accumulates or if the hybridoma is an aggressive cancer, the mouse will likely experience pain or distress. If a procedure produces pain or distress in animals, regulations call for a search for alternatives. One alternative is to grow hybridoma cells in a tissue-culture medium; this technique requires some expertise, requires special media, and can be expensive and time-consuming. There has been considerable research on in vitro methods for grow-
ing hybridomas and these newer methods are less expensive, are faster, and produce antibodies in higher concentration than has been the case in the past. The existence of alternatives to the mouse ascites method raises the question: Is there a scientific need for the mouse ascites method of producing mAb?
The American Anti-Vivisection Society (AAVS) petitioned the National Institutes of Health (NIH) on April 23, 1997, to prohibit the use of animals in the production of mAb. On September 18, 1997, NIH declined to prohibit the use of mice in mAb production, stating that "the ascites method of mAb production is scientifically appropriate for some research projects and cannot be replaced." On March 26, 1998, AAVS submitted a second petition, stating that "NIH failed to provide valid scientific reasons for not supporting a proposed ban." The office of the NIH director asked the National Research Council to conduct a study of methods of producing mAb.
In response to that request, the Research Council appointed the Committee on Methods of Producing Monoclonal Antibodies, to act on behalf of the Institute for Laboratory Animal Research of the Commission on Life Sciences, to conduct the study. The 11 expert members of the committee had extensive experience in biomedical research, laboratory animal medicine, animal welfare, pain research, and patient advocacy (Appendix B). The committee was asked to determine whether there was a scientific necessity for the mouse ascites method; if so, whether the method caused pain or distress; and, if so, what could be done to minimize the pain or distress. The committee was also asked to comment on available in vitro methods; to suggest what acceptable scientific rationale, if any, there was for using the mouse ascites method; and to identify regulatory requirements for the continued use of the mouse ascites method.
The committee held an open data-gathering meeting during which its members summarized data bearing on those questions. A 1-day workshop (Appendix A) was attended by 34 participants, 14 of whom made formal presentations. A second meeting was held to finalize the report. The present report was written on the basis of information in the literature and information presented at the meeting and the workshop.
This report has been reviewed by persons chosen for their diverse perspectives and technical expertise in accordance with procedures approved by the National Research Council's Report Review Committee. The purposes of the independent review are to provide candid and critical comments that will assist the authors and the Research Council in making the published report as sound as possible and to ensure that the report meets institutional standards of objectivity, evidence, and responsiveness to the study charge. The contents of the review comments and the draft manuscript remain confidential to protect the integrity of the deliberative process. We wish to thank the following persons for their participation in the review of this report:
J. Donald Capra, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City
Philip Carter, North Carolina State University, Raleigh
Joseph Chandler, Maine Biotechnology Services, Inc., Portland
Jon W. Gordon, Mt. Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY
Coenraad Hendricksen, National Institute of Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, The Netherlands
Dave Hill, Oncogene Research Products, Cambridge, MA
Charles A. Janeway, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT
Neil S. Lipman, Memorial Sloan-Kettering, New York, NY
Uwe Marx, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
Henry Metzger, National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, Bethesda, MD
William E. Paul, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Bethesda, MD
Jon Richmond, Home Office, United Kingdom
Alan Stall, PharMingen, San Diego, CA
Peter Theran, Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Boston
Jonathan W. Uhr, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX
Ellen S. Vitetta, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX
The list shows the diversity and background of the reviewers, again attesting to the rigor of the process of producing this report. Although the persons listed have provided many constructive comments and suggestions, responsibility for the final content of this report rests solely with the authoring committee and the National Research Council.
To the committee members, reviewers, and staff, I extend my deepest appreciation. Members of the committee devoted precious weekends, evenings, and work hours and endless energy to meet short deadlines. The reviewers also worked under short deadlines, and their efforts greatly improved the logic, coherence, and comprehensibility of our report.
I am grateful for the guidance and support provided by the Institute for Laboratory Animal Research staff throughout the process. Kathleen Beil provided timely and important communications to the committee in arranging travel and lodging and in report production. Ralph Dell's focus on the topic and his management of the review and publication were of inestimable value. Norman Grossblatt's editing made the report eminently more readable—a feature that will be appreciated by readers.
PETER A. WARD, CHAIR
COMMITTEE ON METHODS OF PRODUCING
MONOCLONAL ANTIBODIES
This page in the original is blank. |