This Phase I project is designed to test the feasibility of purifying taxol by immunoaffinity chromatography. The use of this technique for purification of a low molecular weight compound with low aqueous solubility has not been reported to date. Taxol-specific monoclonal antibodies will be selected for further study on the basis of their affinity for taxol and their ability: (i) to bind taxol in aqueous buffer containing 10-20% organic solvent (ii) to release taxol in aqueous buffer containing higher concentrations of the same organic solvent Selected taxol-specific monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) will be immobilized on suitable solid phase matrices. Increasing concentrations of organic solvent in aqueous buffer, and high and low pH will be evaluated for their ability to disrupt binding of taxol by antibody without denaturing the mAb. The goal of Phase I is the development of a bench scale process capable of separating taxol and cephalomannine.
