Nobuyuki Shigetoh

A Novel Monoclonal Antibody Specific for Cocaine

Detection systems for the illegal drug cocaine need to have a high sensitivity and specificity for cocaine and to be relatively easy to use. In the current study, a monoclonal antibody (MAb) with a high specificity for cocaine was produced. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and fluorescence quenching immunoassay were used to screen the hybridomas. The MAb S27Y (IgG1) was shown to be sensitive and specific for cocaine and quenched fluorescence. Thus, S27Y has the potential to be used in screening assays for the rapid and sensitive detection of cocaine.

Fluorescence Immunoassay for Cocaine Detection

A fluorescence immunoassay (FIA) has been developed for the detection of cocaine using norcocaine labeled with merocyanine dye and a monoclonal antibody specific to cocaine. Using this FIA, the detection range for cocaine was between 20.0 and 1700 μg/L with a limit of detection of 20.0 μg/L. Other cocaine derivatives did not interfere significantly with the detection when using this immunoassay technique with cross-reactivity values of less than 20%. Thus this FIA could be considered a useful tool for the detection of cocaine.