Immunosorbents with developed binding efficiency and method of manufacture

Abstract

The antitope of an antibody is masked with a masking agent, followed by immobilization on a support. The masking agent is then eluted to produce an improved immunosorbent, which is capable of binding more than double the amount of an antigen than existing immunosorbents having the same antibody bound at the same density. Preferably, the masking agent is an antigen or other compound having an epitope for which the antitope of the bound antibody has an avidity. In a preferred embodiment, greater than 30% of the bound antibodies maintain the same vicinity as when unbound for specific antigen or hapten molecules. Preferably, the support is formed of any conventional immunosorbent support material which allows the bound and unbound antibody to maintain an avidity for the same compounds or antigens. In a preferred embodiment, the support is formed of agarose, cellulose, piezo crystals, microtiter plates, or other materials which will not reduce the avidity of a bound antibody for an antigen in comparison to the avidity of the unbound antibody for the same antigen. Preferably, the masked antibodies are bound to supports which are activated with a reagent, such as, but not limited to, cyanogen bromide, carbonyldiimidazole, N-hydroxysuccinimide, hydrazine, hydrazide, and toluene sulfonylchloride. In another preferred embodiment, masked antibody complexes are immobilized through affinity complexing to proteins bound to a support.