Biologically active antibodies recognizing a cell surface molecule selectively expressed on living mouse natural type one (I) interferon producing cells
An isolated and characterized monoclonal antibody (“440c”) prepared by immunizing Wistar/CRL rats subcutaneously with purified rat bone marrow IPC, fusing popliteal lymph nodes of the rats with SP2/0 myeloma spleen cells and differentially selecting for hybridome supernatants that successfully stain bone marrow derived IPC and fractions thereof using CD11c+ spleen cells and, differentially selecting for hybridoma supernatants from the CD11c+ spleen cells that successfully stain only CD 11 c+/Ly6c+/CD 11 b−/B220+ splenocytes to provide the monoclonal antibody.