Reagents for detecting cannabinoids
AssigneeLifepoint, Inc.
InventorsGuohong Wang, Thomas Foley, Connie Chang, Greg Liang, Albert Avila
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In this disclosure, novel caanabinol-based tracers suitable for use in immunoassays that detect cannabinoids in a biological sample are disclosed. These cannabinol-based tracers are particularly useful in a continuous flow displacement immunoassay. The disclosure also describes the processes for synthesizing the novel tracers, and the application of these tracers in fluorescence immunoassays for detecting and quantifying cannabinoids in biological samples.
Claims61
An immunoassay system for detecting tetrahydrocannabinoids in a sample, the system comprising:
- (a) a tracer molecule comprising
- a cannabinol molecule or a derivative of cannabinol molecules, wherein the derivative comprises at least two benzene rings of the cannabinol molecule;
- a label coupled to the cannabinol molecule or the derivative of cannabinol molecules;
- (b) a recognition molecule having a binding site that is capable tetrahydrocannabinoids and to the tracer, and
- (c) wherein the immunoassay is configured such that the tetrahydrocannabinoids in the sample competes with the tracer for binding site on the recognition molecule.
A method for detecting tetrahydrocannabinoids in a sample, the method comprising the steps of:
- (a) exposing a recognition molecule to a synthetic tracer to form a recognition molecule-tracer complex, wherein the tracer comprises
- a cannabinol molecule or a derivative of cannabinol molecules, wherein the derivative comprises at least two benzene rings of the cannabinol molecule;
- a label coupled to the cannabinol molecule or the derivative of cannabinol molecules;
- (b) contacting a sample suspected of containing tetrahydrocannabinoids with the recognition molecule-tracer complex such that the tetrahydrocannabinoids displace the tracer from the recognition molecule;
- and
- (c) detecting the tracer that is displaced.
A column comprising:
- a solid support;
- an antibody immobilized to the solid support, wherein the antibody is capable of binding to tetrahydrocannabinoids;
- a tracer molecule bound to the antibody, wherein the tracer molecule comprises:
- a cannabinol molecule or a derivative of cannabinol molecules, wherein the derivative comprises at least two benzene rings of the cannabinol molecule;
- and
- a label coupled to the cannabinol molecule or the derivative of cannabinol molecules.
A method of using a synthetic tracer to detect tetrahydrocannabinoids in a sample comprising the steps of:
- (a) collecting a sample suspected of containing tetrahydrocannabinoids;
- (b) exposing the sample and a synthetic tracer to a recognition molecule, wherein the tracer comprises a cannabinol molecule or a derivative of cannabinol molecules, wherein the derivative comprises at least two benzene rings of the cannabinol molecule, and a label coupled to the cannabinol molecule or the derivative of cannabinol molecules, and wherein the tracer competes with the tetrahydrocannabinoids for binding on the recognition molecule;
- (c) measuring the amount of label that is coupled to the synthetic tracer that has been displaced from the recognition molecule.
A method of using a synthetic tracer to detect tetrahydrocannabinoids comprising the steps of:
- attaching a recognition molecule to a solid support, wherein the recognition molecule is capable of binding to tetrahydrocannabinoids;
- exposing a synthetic tracer to the recognition molecule, wherein the tracer comprises a cannabinol molecule or a derivative of cannabinol molecules and a label coupled to the cannabinol molecule or the derivative of cannabinol molecules, wherein the derivative comprises at least two benzene rings of the cannabinol molecule, and wherein binding sites on the recognition molecule is substantially saturated with the tracer to form a recognition molecule-tracer complex;
- exposing a sample suspected of containing tetrahydrocannabinoids to the recognition molecule-tracer complex;
- and
- measuring the amount of label from synthetic tracers that has been displaced from the recognition molecule.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.