ScopeThis brief review has a limited scope. It focuses on technical developments of practical interest concerning construction of hybridomas and their expansion for large scale production of monoclonal antibodies.Some of the procedures surveyed are not yet routinely applied but are promising. Highlighted are tactics to improve fusion efficiency and production of antibodies in vitro, the use of chemically defined culture media, and attempts at generating antibodies other than murine, especially human.Beginners in hybridoma technology and those planning to use it soon should be aware of current trends beyond the classical technology. These trends should be carefully considered before making basic decisions, for example what cell line to use as a fusion partner.It should be clear that new avenues are being explored with success. Mouse and rat hybridomas are no longer the only alternatives. Monoclonal antibodies of other species, e.g., human, are within the realm of the possible. The same can be said for

We investigated the initial attitude of 10 chronic, defected schizophrenic patients to a computer videogame session. Six of them enjoyed the experience and wanted to repeat it. Cooperation and performance were compared by means of videogames and a standard psychometric test (WAIS). Videogame performance correlated with the execution test IQ more than with the verbal test IQ. Computer games could be useful in these patients for evaluation of attitudes and responses, psychologic testing, motivation and reward.

Twenty marmosets, male Callithrix jacchus, were used during this study. Fifteen of the marmosets were inoculated with 5,000 TCID50 of the attenuated XJC13 strain of Junin virus by intramuscular route and five were left as uninoculated controls. Animals were observed for a 420-day period. In order to carry out virologic, hematologic, serologic, and histologic studies the animals were bled and/or killed at different days post infection(pi). Results obtained showed that the attenuated strain produced an infection with no mortality or signs of illness. There was only a slight loss of weight at 18-40 days pi, which was soon recovered. Viremia was present from day 6 to 22, titers peaking at 4.0 log. Viral spread was limited to the lungs, spleen, lymph nodes, and bone marrow in the animal killed on day 14. No virus was found in the organs of the animal killed on day 23, and neither hematologic alterations nor pathologic lesions were seen in these monkeys except for ganglionar hypertrophy with immunoblast proliferation. Antigen was detected by immunofluorescence (IF) in lymph nodes, spleen, adrenals, lungs and brain. Neutralizing antibodies were detected from the third week onward. Protection conferred by the XJC13 strain proved effective when XJC13-inoculated monkeys were challenged with 1,000 TCID50 of the pathogenic XJ strain at days 60 or 380 pi, while normal controls died. When viral persistence was searched for on days 370, 390, and 420 pi, no infectious virus was detected, but viral antigen was seen in certain organs, which, however, lacked tissue damage.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Infection of guinea pigs with an attenuated strain of Junin virus (JV) produced 16% mortality between days 17 and 27 postinfection (p.i.)· The morphological study showed a marked pancreatitis between days 6 and 23 p.i. and meningoencephalitis between days 17 and 20 p.i. in a large proportion of the animals. These lesions were coincident with the presence of JV antigenic determinants in the pancreatic acinar cells, neurons and blood vessels of the brain. Infectious virus could be isolated from lymph nodes, spleen, bone marrow, lungs, adrenal glands, and brain. The lesions appeared to be reversible, as they were absent in animals studied after day 64 p. i. Meningoencephalitis, present in all animals dying spontaneously, appeared to be the most important cause of death. Our observations indicate that more accurate markers of virulence must be investigated in the search for attenuated strains of JV as potential vaccine candidates for Argentine hemorrhagic fever.