Progress in the discovery and definition of monoclonal antibodies for use in feline research

The practice of veterinary medicine and research into both animal diseases and animal models of human disease are restricted by the scarcity of monoclonal antibodies (mAb) that react with animal proteins. One way to enlarge the repertoire of mAb to animal leukocyte differentiation antigens (LDA) is to test mAb specific to other species for cross-reactivity to the species of interest. We have tested a panel of 380 commercially available anti-human mAb for cross-reactivity to feline LDA. Twenty-six of these mAb cross-react with cat LDA and 19 others are of questionable cross-reactivity. Definition of mAb specificity in the cat is being investigated by multi-color flow cytometry (FCM) to compare test mAb specificity with that of mAb to known feline LDA. The addition of these cross-reactive mAb to the anti-feline mAb currently available will enhance studies in comparative medicine.