In response to increasing awareness of the suspected role of estrogen mimics in reproductive disorders and cancer, during Phase I work, the investigators demonstrated the feasibility of developing a fiber optic sensor for screening estrogen mimics. The instrument reports rapid real-time data on binding between biological macromolecules and their ligands. Sensor measurements performed on several estrogens and mimics were well correlated with conventional affinity measurements for those compounds. By combining information obtained from two different types of fibers, the sensors distinguished between strong and weak estrogens and between estrogenic agonists and an estrogenic antagonist, reflecting strong agreement between sensor results and bioactivity. A patent and three publications are in preparation as a result of this work. Proposed Phase II work will entail: 1) optimization of chemical and molecular biological methods and protocols, 2) refinements in mathematical methods, 3) prototype design and construction, and 4) validation with blind samples of estrogen mimics. The resulting instrument and stabilized reagents provide a rapid assessment of estrogenic and endocrine disrupting potential of samples. This approach may be adapted to pharmaceutical development and identification of non- estrogenic compounds with endocrine-disrupting properties.

Proposed Commercial Applications

Agencies monitoring environmental estrogen mimics and screening compounds for estrogenic endocrine disrupting potential, industries monitoring their own waste streams for pseudo-estrogens, pharmaceutical companies seeking anti-breast cancer agents by screening compounds for binding to the estrogen receptor or determining real time binding constants of substances for biomolecules, researchers studying mechanisms of signal transduction.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)
Type
Small Business Innovation Research Grants (SBIR) - Phase II (R44)
Project #
5R44ES007471-03
Application #
2882837
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZRG3-SSS-2 (01))
Project Start
1996-06-20
Project End
2000-11-30
Budget Start
1999-03-01
Budget End
2000-11-30
Support Year
3
Fiscal Year
1999
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
IA, Inc.
Department
Type
DUNS #
City
Dexter
State
MI
Country
United States
Zip Code
48130