AMYLASE ISOZYME DETERMINATION WITH MONOCLONAL ANTIBODIES

THE ULTIMATE GOAL OF THIS RESEARCH IS TO DEVELOP A DIAGNOSTIC KIT WHICH WILL PERMIT EASY AND RAPID IDENTIFICATION OF OVARIAN AMYLASE. THIS AMYLASE ISOZYME APPEARS TO BE A GOOD INDICATOR FOR OVARIAN CANCER. IN ADDITION, MONOCLONAL ANTIBODIES WILL BE PRODUCED WHICH WILL ENABLE CLINICAL INVESTIGATORS RELIABLY TO DETECT THE AMOUNTS OF SALIVARY, PANCREATIC, AND OVARIAN AMYLASES IN PATIENT SPECIMENS. IT IS ANTICIPATED THAT IT WILL BE POSSIBLE TO GENERATE MONOCLONALS WHICH WILL DETECT SPECIFIC ISOELECTRIC VARIANTS OF EACH ISOZYME. DURING PHASE I MONOCLONAL ANTIBODIES SPECIFIC FOR EACH ISOENZYME WILL BE GENERATED. THEY WILL FORM THE BASIS FOR KIT DEVELOPMENT AND CLINICAL TESTING DURING PHASE II. SUCH A KIT PERMITTING DIRECT EVALUATION OF AMYLASE ISOZYME LEVELS SHOULD PROVE SUPERIOR TO CURRENT METHODOLOGIES WHICH ARE EITHER TIME CONSUMING OR WHICH RELY ON INHIBITORS FOR DISTINGUSHING ISOZYMES. AT PRESENT ACTIVITY MEASUREMENTS CANNOT DISTINGUISH OVARIAN FROM SALIVARY ISOZYMES.