THE CYCLIC NUCLEOTIDES, CAMP AND CGMP ARE IMPORTANT REGULATORY MOLECULES THAT ARE NOW RECOGNIZED AS MEDIATORS IN A VAST NUMBER OF NORMAL AND PATHOLOGICAL PROCESSES.

THE CYCLIC NUCLEOTIDES, CAMP AND CGMP ARE IMPORTANT REGULATORY MOLECULES THAT ARE NOW RECOGNIZED AS MEDIATORS IN A VAST NUMBER OF NORMAL AND PATHOLOGICAL PROCESSES. SUCH INSIGHTS HAVE INCREASED THE NEED FOR GENERALLY AVAILABLE TECHNOLOGY THAT WILL ALLOW THE CONVENIENT AND ACCURATE MEASUREMENT OF THE CYCLIC NUCLEOTIDES IN RESEARCH AND CLINICAL SETTINGS. THIS PHASE I PROPOSAL OUTLINES OUR INTEREST IN PURSUING THE GENERATION OF MURINE MONOCLONAL ANTI CAMP/CGMP ANTIBODIES AND FLUORESCENT ENZYME IMMUNOASSAY SYSTEMS FOR THE RAPID AND SENSITIVE MEASUREMENT OF THE CYCLIC NUCLEOTIDES IN BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS. HYBRIDOMAS WILL BE PREPARED VIA FUSION OF MOUSE MYELOMA CELLS WITH SPLEENS OF MICE IMMUNIZED WITH SUCCINYL-CAMP (OR CGMP) CONJUGATED TO BOVINE SERUM ALBUMIN. RESULTANT MONOCLONAL ANTIBODIES WILL BE ATTACHED TO BETA-GALACTOSIDASE AND UTILIZED IN A RAPID SOLID-PHASE ENZYME IMMUNOASSAY USING FLUOROGENIC SUBSTRATES. THESE EXPECTED RESULTS WILL SERVE AS THE BASIS OF PHASE II, WHERE WE ENVISION THAT THE FINAL ASSAY FORMAT DEVELOPED WILL OFFER VALUABLE AND NOVEL TOOLS FOR BASIC RESEARCH. ADDITIONALLY, WE BELIEVE THAT SUCH PRODUCTS WILL HAVE SIGNIFICANT COMMERCIAL MARKETS IN RESEARCH AND CLINICAL MEDICINE, AND MAY OFFER NEW DIAGNOSTIC AIDS FOR THE EARLY DETECTION OF SEVERAL DISEASE AND NEOPLASTIC CONDITIONS.