Immunoglobulins play a key role in the immune system. CDC has developed and tested hybridoma cell lines (monoclonal antibody (mAb) clones) for human IgG and other immunoglobulins. The mAbs generated from those hybridomas could be used as a reagent (second Ab) of anti-human immunoglobins in a diagnostic assay for SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2), the virus that causes COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) and other assays that detect antigen specific antibodies from human sera.

Collaborating international scientists evaluated the mAbs which showed reactivity and specificity for human IgG (11), the IgG subclasses (59), or Gm allotypes (4) by employing different assay techniques or protocols. These mAbs that can be satisfactorily applied in several diagnostic testing methodologies such as enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), immunofluorescence microscopy, direct hemagglutination and hemagglutination inhibition assays, and more. The hybridomas that produce those mAbs have potential as reference reagents and research tools for investigating infection processes.