Drug abuse has created a continuing need for a rapid and accurate system for the detection of amphetamines. This SBIR proposal addresses the need for a rapid and specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for amphetamines which can be performed with only modest laboratory facilities. Since the critical componet of any immunoassay is the affinity and specificity of the antibody used, we propose to generate specific monoclonal antibodies for both amphetamine and methamphetamine which do not detect very similar compounds such as phenylpropanolamine, ephedrine, and phentermine which are present in many over the counter cold, allergy and diet medications. Our specific goals during the Phase I period will be to prepare several """"""""sterically rigid"""""""" amphetamine immunogens, and use them to generate monoclonal antibodies by standard hybridoma procedures. We will characterize these antibodies for affinity for amphetamine/methamphetamine and cross reactivity with phenylpropanolamine, ephedrine, and phentermine. We will also investigate the new monoclonal antibodies for use in polystyrene microtiter plate ELISA systems, which we have been developing for other drugs of abuse including benzodiazepines, cocaine, and THC.
