Polymer conjugate enhanced bioassays

• US 9,176,142 B2
• Filed: 10/21/2013
• Issued: 11/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ANP Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: ANP Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Yin, Ray, Qin, Dujie, Pan, Jing
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Chris L
• Application Number:
  US14/059,387
• Publication Number:
  US 20140045727A1
• Time in Patent Office: 743 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 10/00 Nanotechnology for information processing, storage or transmission, e.g. quantum computing or single electron logic
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 5/00 Nanobiotechnology or nanomedicine, e.g. protein engineering or drug delivery
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/532 Production of labelled immunochemicals
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/54353 with ligand attached to the carrier via a chemical coupling agent coatings G01N33/54393
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/545 Synthetic resin
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/6854 Immunoglobulins

Abstract

Incorporation of modified branched polymers in one or more components of assays enhances sensitivity, specificity or both, providing powerful point of use tests.

Claims

1. An assay kit for detecting, an antibody in a sample, comprising:

a) a detector that specifically binds said antibody of said sample, said detector tagged with a plurality of a first member of a first binding pair;

b) a conjugate comprising a modified dendritic polymer and a second member of said first binding pair;

(c) a capture molecule comprising a molecule which is specifically bound by said antibody in said sample; and

(d) a reporter.

2. The kit of claim 1, wherein said first binding pair comprises an antibody, an antigen binding portion thereon an antigen, an epitope-containing portion thereof, a nucleic acid, a nucleic, acid binding moiety, a lectin, a cognate saccharide thereof, a ligand, a hapten, a hormone, a hormone receptor, an enzyme, an enzyme cofactor, an enzyme substrate, a biotin or a molecule that binds biotin.

3. The kit of claim 1, wherein said reporter comprises a colored, luminescent or fluorescent particulate or moiety, an enzyme, or a combination thereof.

4. The kit of claim 3, wherein said fluorescent or luminescent particulate or moiety comprises quantum dots, nanocrystals, up-converting phosphorescent particles or fluorophore containing latex beads.

5. The kit of claim 3, wherein said colored particulate comprises colloidal metals, comprising gold or silver, colored latex beads or colored dyes.

6. The kit of claim 1, wherein said conjugate (b) and said reporter (c) are joined.

7. The kit of claim 1, wherein said kit comprises a solid phase comprising said capture molecule, said detector, said conjugate and said reporter.

8. The kit of claim 7, wherein said solid phase comprises a flat surface or a membrane.

9. The kit of claim 8, wherein said flat surface comprises a silicon wafer, quartz, glass, a metal, or a plastic.

10. The kit of claim 8, wherein said membrane comprises a paper, a plastic membrane, a nylon membrane or a nitrocellulose membrane.

11. The kit of claim 7, wherein said solid phase comprises a microarray or a bead array.

12. The kit of claim 7, wherein said solid phase comprises a dipstick, a lateral flow immunoassay or a microarray.

13. The kit of claim 7, wherein said capture molecule is affixed directly or indirectly to said solid phase.

14. The kit of claim 7, wherein said conjugate is reversibly bound to said solid phase.

15. The kit of claim 7, wherein said solid phase comprises a microtitre plate.

16. The kit of claim 1, wherein said reporter yields a product which is detectable by color or by light.

17. The kit of claim 1, wherein said first member or said second member of said first binding pair is an antibody or antigen-binding portion thereof.

18. The kit of claim 1, wherein said first member or said second member of said first binding pair is a molecule that binds biotin, fluorescein, nucleic acid, albumin, to hapten or a combination thereof.

19. The kit of claim 1, wherein said detector is an antibody, an antigen-binding portion thereof, an antigen, an epitope-containing portion thereof, a nucleic acid or a nucleic acid binding moiety.

20. The kit of claim 1, where said first member or said second member of said first binding pair comprises biotin, fluorescein, nucleic acid, albumin, a hapten or a combination thereof.