Disclosed is a process for obtaining hybridoma cell lines which produce
human antibodies capable of binding to the hepatitis B virus surface
antigen (HBVsAg), as well as the hybridoma cell lines, and antibodies
produced by the cell lines. Also disclosed are various uses of said
antibodies in the prevention and treatment of HBV infection. Peripheral
blood lymphocytes obtained from human donors having a high titer of anti
HBVsAg antibodies are engrafted into normal strains of mice which were
lethally irradiated and radioprotected with SCID bone marrow. After
immunization of such chimeric mice with HBVsAg, human cells are obtained
from the mice spleens and fused in vitro with heteromyeloma cells to
generate hybridomas secreting human antibodies having a high affinity and
specificity to HBVsAg.