SGER: A novel approach to a biocompatible antibody-antigen recognition system using antigen imprinted polymers

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Abstract Proposal Title: SGER A novel approach to a biocompatible antibody-antigen recognition system using antigen imprinted polymers. Proposal Number: CTS-0640778 Principal Investigator: Peter Kofinas, Institution: University of Maryland College ParkThe intellectual merit and aim of this exploratory research is to imprint a tumor specific antigen (Ag) into a polymeric scaffold using techniques already developed in the PI's laboratory. The resulting molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) would contain antigen-shaped cavities, which would elicit specific immune system responses trigering the production of antibodies. The hypothesis for this work is that the imprinting process will create cavities within the polymer matrix that are complementary to the shape and size of the targeted antibody, resulting in the specific and preferential specific binding of that antibody to the Ag-MIP. The recognition ability of the Ag-MIP will be determined by testing the affinity for antibodies of different isotypes in competitive and non-competitive affinity experiments.The broader impacts of the proposed research relate to development of novel techonolgies with the unparalleled recognition capability of antibody-antigen recognition present in the human immune system, which could have profound effects within the field of medicine and biotechnology. Such technologies would pave the way for the creation of revolutionary tech- niques to detect and treat diseases. Ag-MIPs can be applied to affinity matrices for applications in separation and purification, biosensor technology and diagnostics. Underlying all immunological approaches to cancer is the idea that tumor cells must differ from normal cells, and that these differences must be detectable by the immune system. Tumor immunologists have tried to exploit this by using antibodies produced in another species to distinguish between tumor and normal cells; this difference can then be exploited for diagnostic, prognostic, or therapeutic purposes. The polymer developed in this research imprinted against the MZ2-E tumor-specific antigen could elicit an immune response (antibody production), when injected to cancer patients, which could help lyse (kill) the cancerous tumor. Artifical antibodies made from MIPs can also be used in diagnostics for the detection of antigens and antibodies in blood samples, for the profiling of sera to discover new disease markers, and for environment and food monitoring. In biosensor technology artificial antibodies can be used to profile protein expression and to detect specific protein-protein interactions. The education activities to be undertaken in this work include graduate student mentoring.