title: Sponge hybridomas: applications and implications.
abstract: Many sponge-derived natural products with applications to human health have been discovered over the past three decades. In vitro production has been proposed as one biological alternative to ensure adequate supply of marine natural products for preclinical and clinical development of drugs. Although primary cell cultures have been established for many marine phyla, no cell lines with an extended life span have been established for marine invertebrates. Hybridoma technology has been used for production of monoclonal antibodies for application to human health. We hypothesized that a sponge cell line could be formed by fusing sponge cells of one species with those of another, or by fusing sponge cells with rapidly dividing, marine-derived, non-sponge cells. Using standard methods for formation of hybridomas, with appropriate modifications for temperature and salinity, cells from individuals of the same sponge species, as well as cells from individuals of two different sponge species were successfully fused. Research in progress is focused on optimizing fusion to produce a cell line and to stimulate expression of natural products with therapeutic relevance. Experimental hybridomas may also be used as models to test hypotheses related to naturally occurring sponge chimeras and hybridomas.
authors: *Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, Florida Atlantic University, Fort Pierce, FL 34946, USA; Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306, USA; Oceanographic Center, Nova Southeastern University, Dania Beach, FL 33004, USA.
authors: Shirley A
authors: SA
authors: Pomponi
authors: Allison
authors: A
authors: Jevitt
authors: Jignasa
authors: J
authors: Patel
authors: M Cristina
authors: MC
authors: Diaz
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques; D002459:Cell Fusion / Q000379:methods*; D002460:Cell Line; D005431:Florida; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D006825:Hybridomas / Q000166:cytology*; D011161:Porifera / Q000166:cytology*; D054712:Salinity; D013045:Species Specificity; D013696:Temperature
chemical_list: D005456:Fluorescent Dyes