Lanthanides as probes for time-resolved fluorometric immunoassays

Abstract

In recent years development in the field of immunologic assays has been characterized by an expanding use of monoclonal antibodies [1] and two-site ‘sandwich’ type assays [2]. Concomitantly, the assay sensitivities and specificities have improved considerably, which has opened new possibilities and areas of application for immunoassays. This development has progressed mostly with the aid of radioisotopic tracers, but alternative non-isotopic labels, including fluorescent probes, have also gained more and more applications.