RAPID DETECTION SYSTEM FOR HTLV-III

IMCLONE SYSTEMS, INC. SEEKS TO DEVELOP A NOVEL RAPID DETECTION SYSTEM FOR THE IDENTIFICATION OF ANTIBODIES DIRECTED AGAINST HUMAN T-CELL LYMPHOTROPHIC VIRUS III (HTLV-III). THE SYSTEM IS BASED ON A SANDWICH FLUORO-IMMUNOASSAY IN WHICH AN HTLV-III ANTIBODY CONTAINING SERUM SAMPLE IS PREMIXED WITH FLUORESCEINATED HTLV-III VIRAL ANTIGEN CONJUGATE AND SUBSEQUENTLY ALLOWED TO INCUBATEWITH AN OPTICAL GRADE FIBER TO WHICH HTLV-III VIRAL ANTIGENSHAVE BEEN COVALENTLY ATTACHED. ACCUMULATION OF THE FLUORESCEINED HTLV-III VIRAL ANTIGENS ONTHE FIBER SURFACE PROVIDES A LOCALIZED CONCENTRATION OF FLUORESCEIN WHICH IS EXCITED BY ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION IN THE VISIBLE WAVELENGTH RANGE OF 490 NM. EMISSION OF FLUORESCEIN AT 525 NM IS RECAPTURED BY THE FIBER AND PROPAGATED TO THE END WHERE IT IS COLLECTED AND DETECTED AS A LIGHT SIGNAL OUTPUT. THIS SYSTEM HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BECOME A SENSITIVE, RAPID DETECTION ASSAY WITH SIMPLIFIEDSAMPLE HANDLING, SMALL SAMPLE REQUIREMENTS, AND WIDE USE IN NUMEROUS CLINICAL SETTINGS INCLUDING PHYSICIANS' OFFICES, CLINICAL LABORATORIES, AND BLOOD BANKS.