A Cocktail of Thermally Stable, Chemically Synthesized Capture Agents for the Efficient Detection of Anti-gp41 Antibodies from Human Sera and Techniques

Author: Pfeilsticker, Jessica A.

Year: 2014

Degree: Dissertation (Ph.D.)

Advisor: Heath, James R.

Committee Members: Grubbs, Robert H.; Clemons, William M.; Okumura, Mitchio; Heath, James R.

Option: Chemistry

Abstract

This thesis reports on a method to improve in vitro diagnostic assays that detect immune response, with specific application to HIV-1. The inherent polyclonal diversity of the humoral immune response was addressed by using sequential in situ click chemistry to develop a cocktail of peptide-based capture agents, the components of which were raised against different, representative anti-HIV antibodies that bind to a conserved epitope of the HIV-1 envelope protein gp41. The cocktail was used to detect anti-HIV-1 antibodies from a panel of sera collected from HIV-positive patients, with improved signal-to-noise ratio relative to the gold standard commercial recombinant protein antigen. The capture agents were stable when stored as a powder for two months at temperatures close to 60°C.

Files

CoverPage.pdf (application/pdf)
Chapter 1.pdf (application/pdf)
Chapter 2.pdf (application/pdf)
Chapter 3.pdf (application/pdf)
Chapter 4.pdf (application/pdf)
Appendix A.pdf (application/pdf)
Appendix B.pdf (application/pdf)
Appendix C.pdf (application/pdf)
Appendix D.pdf (application/pdf)
Appendix E.pdf (application/pdf)
Thesis.pdf (application/pdf)