Rapamycin assay

Abstract

Monoclonal antibodies to rapamycin and to 40-O-alkylated derivatives of rapamycin are provided, together with novel haptens, immunogenic conjugates, and processes for making them and assay kits for using them.

1. An immunogenic conjugate which is  1 ) rapamycin bearing an immunogenic protein at position  40  or  28 ;  2 )  40-O-(2-hydroxyethyl)-rapamycin bearing an immunogenic protein at position 28. 
     
     
       2. An immunogenic conjugate of  claim 1  which is produced by reacting an immunogenic protein with either  1 ) rapamycin bearing an activated coupling group at position  40  or  28 ; or  2 )  40-O-(2-hydroxyethyl)-rapamycin bearing an activated coupling group at position 28, wherein the activated coupling group is —CO—O—X where X is a carboxy activating group, —S—S—Z where Z is a dithio activating group, or an epoxy group. 
     
     
       3. An immunogenic conjugate comprising a rapamycin portion and a protein portion wherein the rapamycin is i)  40 -O-succinimidooxysuccinyl-rapamycin, ii)  28 -O-succinimidooxysuccinyl-rapamycin, or iii)  28-O-(succinimidooxysuccinyl)-40-O-(2-hydroxyethyl)-rapamycin. 
     
     
       4. An immunogenic conjugate which is produced by reacting a protein with a rapamycin derivative bearing an activated coupling group wherein the rapamycin is i)  40 -O-succinimidooxysuccinyl-rapamycin, ii)  28 -O-succinimidooxysuccinyl-rapamycin, or iii)  28-O-(succinimidooxysuccinyl)-40-O-(2-hydroxyethyl)-rapamycin.