Generation of a monoclonal antibody that induces apoptosis of hematopoietic cells

Here, we developed anti-murine myeloid cell (NFS-60 cell) monoclonal antibodies in order to characterize the further mechanism of cell-to-cell interaction between the stromal cells and the hematopoietic progenitor cells. The established antibody, designated mAb UNF, inhibited proliferation of NFS-60 cells and induced apoptosis. Incubation of NFS-60 cells with mAb UNF initiated the cell aggregation within 3 hours. This phenomena did not require newly synthesized proteins, since the pretreatment of 1 mM cycloheximide failed to prevent the agglutination. Fifty-eight percent of mouse hematopoietic stem cells, Lin^-, c-Kit⁺, Sca-1⁺ bone marrow cells, were shown to express UNF antigen. The glycolipid prepared from NFS-60 cells was specifically immunostained by mAb UNF.