HYBRID CELL FORMATION BY TARGETED ELECTROFUSION

CELL FUSION PROVIDES BIOTECHNOLOGISTS WITH THE ABILITY TO GENERATE UNIQUE CELL TYPES BY MIXING THE GENETIC MATERIAL OFTWO PARENT CELLS. THE GENERATION OF IMMORTAL ANTIBODY PRODUCTING HYBRIDOMAS BY FUSING ANTIBODY PRODUCING SPLEEN CELLS WITH MYELOMA CELLS PROVIDES AN EXAMPLE OF THE UTILITY OF CELL FUSION TECHNOLOGY. HOWEVER, THE WIDELY USED CHEMICAL FUSION PROCEDURES, BASED ON POLYETHYLENEGLYCOL (PEG) ARE LABOR INTENSIVE, TIME CONSUMING AND COSTLY, AND THEY PROVIDE RELATIVELY LOW YIELDS OF THE DESIRED HYBRIDOMA.THE APPLICATION OF ELECTROFUSION (RATHER THAN CHEMICAL FUSION) IN CONJUNCTION WITH METHODS FOR TARGETING THE CELL POPULATIONS PRIOR TO FUSION, SHOULD PROVIDE AN IMPORTANT ADVANCE IN HYBRID CELL TECHNOLOGY. AS A RESULT OF THIS RESEARCH PROGRAM, WE WILL BE ABLE TO OBTAIN HIGHER YIELDS OFHYBRID CELLS, IN A SHORTER TIME AND AT A LOWER COST THAN PRESENT FUSION METHODS. THE HYBRIDOMA MODEL SYSTEM WILL PROVIDE THE TECHNOLOGICAL BASIS FOR EVENTUALLY TARGETING OTHER TYPES OF PLANT AND ANIMAL CELLS FOR ELECTROFUSION.