Immunoaffinity Chromatography: An Introduction to Applications and Recent Developments

Abstract

Immunoaffinity chromatography (IAC) combines the use of LC with the specific binding of antibodies or related agents. The resulting method can be used in assays for a particular target or for purification and concentration of analytes prior to further examination by another technique. This review discusses the history and principles of IAC and the various formats that can be used with this method. An overview is given of the general properties of antibodies and of antibody-production methods. The supports and immobilization methods used with antibodies in IAC and the selection of application and elution conditions for IAC are also discussed. Several applications of IAC are considered, including its use in purification, immunodepletion, direct sample analysis, chromatographic immunoassays and combined analysis methods. Recent developments include the use of IAC with CE or MS, ultrafast immunoextraction methods and the use of immunoaffinity columns in microanalytical systems.

Financial & competing interests disclosure

The authors have no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in this manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, or royalties. Part of the work described in this review was supported by the NIH under grants R01 GM044931 and R01 DK069629. Some of the work described in the areas of the chromatographic immunoassays and ultrafast immunoextraction are the subjects of US Patents 6,720,193 and 6,727,104.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.

Additional information

Funding

The authors have no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in this manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, or royalties. Part of the work described in this review was supported by the NIH under grants R01 GM044931 and R01 DK069629. Some of the work described in the areas of the chromatographic immunoassays and ultrafast immunoextraction are the subjects of US Patents 6,720,193 and 6,727,104.