The overall goal of this project is to develop immunoassays capable of detecting avarol and avarone at the nanogram level in biological samples. Avarol is a marine natural product with potent anti-tumor and anti-AIDS activity. This compound is undergoing evaluation as an anti-AIDS drug and an anti-tumor agent at the National Cancer Institute. To date there are no assay methods for avarol in biological samples. Our recent successes in developing linker technology for small non- immunogenic molecules such as carbofuran, aldicarb, palytoxin, and tetrodotoxin, have prepared us for the production of avarol immunoassays. Avarol will be chemo- and regioselectively linked to immunogenic proteins via two different sites within the molecule. This will enable us to expose characteristically different epitopes of avarol. Antibodies obtained by using these immunogens are expected to offer the clinical chemist a certain and sensitive method of detecting the presence of avarol in a variety of biological matrices. Phase I will also focus on generating a preliminary immunoassay for avarol. Phase II will refine the polyclonal assay and will concentrate on the production of monoclonal antibodies to this compound and closely related sesquiterpene hydroquinones.
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