Lanthanide complexes immunoassays

The DELFIA assay, the first effective lanthanide-based immunoassay, was developed and commercialized by the early 1980s.108-112 DELFIA (Dissociation Enhanced Lanthanide Fluoro-ImmunoAssay) is a heterogeneous assay which uses a lanthanide complex based on aminocarboxylate ligands such as EDTA, EGTA, or DTPA, linked to the antibody by reaction of appended isothiocyanate groups (e.g., complex (45)) with nucleophilic residues, particularly amines, on the protein surface (Figure 11). 

Immunoassay A bioanalytical technique based on the use of antibody-antigen interactions and where either the antibody or the antigen can be tagged by grafting on a luminescent or radioactive lanthanide complex. 

Lanthanides also have potential as DEFRET energy donors. Selvin et al. have reported the use of carbostyril-124 complexes (53) with europium and terbium as sensitizers for cyanine dyes (e.g., (54)) in a variety of immunoassays and DNA hybridization assays.138-140 The advantage of this is that the long lifetime of the lanthanide excited state means than it can transfer its excitation energy to the acceptor over a long distance (up to 100 A) sensitized emission from the acceptor, which occurs at a wavelength where there is minimal interference from residual lanthanide emission, is then measured. 

Lanthanides, particularly when complexed with suitable strong chelating and lightabsorbing ligands, provide quite unique luminescent (in the crmtext of applications referred to as fluorescence) properties, which has made them attractive and increasingly popular labels in in vitro immunoassays and research applications. 

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