6] Attachment of monoclonal antibodies to microspheres

Abstract

Publisher Summary An improvement in therapeutic efficacy of drugs by selective targeting to specific sites would be of clinical importance. For this, a method is employed by which this may be achieved by antibody-mediated targeting of the drug. The chapter describes the different approaches that may be applied in attaching monoclonal antibodies to microspheres. These include nonspecific adsorption, specific adsorption, direct coupling of monoclonal antibodies to microspheres and coupling of monoclonal antibodies to microspheres via a reagent. Direct linking between antibodies and microspheres, for example, can be taken place if functional aldehyde groups are available on the surface of the microspheres (e.g., polyacrolein, polyglutaraldehyde). When the microspheres of choice do not carry groups, which can link directly to monoclonal antibodies, it is possible to obtain antibody attachment by means of different methods such as the carbodiimide method, the cyanogen bromide method, and the glutaraldehyde method. Once the monoclonal antibody has been attached onto the microsphere, it is important to separate the antibody-microsphere conjugates from free antibody and other reaction reagents. In addition, the efficiency of the binding process and the immunochemical activity of the immunomicrospheres should be determined.