A Murine Monoclonal Antibody (VM-1) Against Human Basal Cells Inhibits the Growth of Human Keratinocytes in Culture

Using epidermal cells from psoriatic plaques as the immunogen, an IgG1 murine monoclonal antibody, VM-1, has been produced which stains basal keratinocytes on frozen sections of skin obtained from normal individuals and from psoriatic plaques. In some areas of both normal and psoriatic epidermis, the cell layer immediately above the basal cells is also stained. Cells in the external root sheath of the hair follicles also bind VM-1. The antibody binding site is trypsin-resistant, and is not blocked by bullous pemphigoid serum. If dispersed epidermal cells are preincubated with VM-1 for 1 h or more before plating, the majority of the cells do not attach and spread out on a collagen-coated Petri dish surface or on a fibroblast feeder layer. When added to attached, preconfluent cultures of keratinocytes, VM-1 inhibits growth and alters cell morphology. The growth inhibition is specific for keratinocytes, and viability studies show that it is not due to an immediate toxic effect of the antibody. The VM-1-induced inhibition of keratinocyte growth is not reversed by soy bean or lima bean trypsin inhibitors added at the time of cell plating or at the time of addition of antibody.