NON-ISOTOPIC MONOCLONAL IMMUNOASSAY FOR FENTANYL ANALOGS

THE LONG TERM OBJECTIVE IS TO DEVELOP A HIGHLY AUTOMATED FLUORESCENCE POLARIZATION IMMUNOASSAY (FPIA) FOR FENTANYL AND ANALOGS. THE PHASE I SPECIFIC AIM IS TO SYNTHESIZE AND EVALUATE: 1) FLUORESCEIN LABELED FENTANYL ANALOGS USABLE IN A FPIA; 2) FENTANYL (HAPTEN) - PROTEIN CONJUGATES USED TO ELICIT AN IMMUNE RESPONSE IN BALB/C MICE; 3) MURINE MONOCLONAL ANTIBODIES TO FENTANYL AND ANALOGS. THE PHASE I OBJECTIVE IS TWOFOLD: 1) TO CHOOSE FROM THE SYNTHETIC COMPONENTS A BEST COMBINATION FOR MEASURING FENTANYL AND ANALOGS; 2) TO PREPARE A SMALL "BANK" OF WELL CHARACTERIZED MURINE MONOCLONAL ANTIBODIES FOR INTERNAL USE AS WELL AS FOR USE BY OTHER INVESTIGATORS. THE HEALTHCARE INDUSTRY AND LEGISLATORS ARE ILL PREPARED FORTHE RAPID AND COMPLEX IMPACT OF ESCALATING FENTANYL ABUSE. THE NEED OF AN INNOVATIVE APPROACH FOR DETECTING FENTANYL INBLOOD OR URINE IS GENERALLY RECOGNIZED. AUTHORITIES AGREE THAT AN IMMUNOASSAY WILL BE REQUIRED. BY PROVIDING A FLUORESCENCE POLARIZATION IMMUNOASSAY FOR FENTANYL AND ANALOGS, THE DRAWBACKS ASSOCIATED WITH RADIOIMMUNOASSAY WILL BE OVERCOME.