Sensitive and Quantitative Detection of Anti-Poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) Antibodies by Methoxy-PEG-Coated Surface Plasmon Resonance Sensors

Pre-existing and induced anti-poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) antibodies (abs) have been shown to be related with limitation of therapeutic efficacy and reduction in tolerance of several therapeutic agents. However, the current methods to detect anti-PEG abs are tedious and usually lack quantification. A facile, rapid, sensitive, and reliable technique to detect anti-PEG abs is highly desired in both research and clinic settings. In this work, we have presented a surface plasmon resonance (SPR) biosensor technique for the detection of anti-PEG abs and compared three PEG surface chemistries. Methoxy-PEG (mPEG) 5k was found to have the best performance. The detection of anti-PEG abs directly from diluted blood serum was achieved within 40 min. Detection sensitivity is as good as or better than enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Furthermore, different antibody isotypes can be quantitatively differentiated by adopting secondary antibodies. A pilot study has been performed to analyze clinical blood samples using this technology, demonstrating its potential as a convenient and powerful method to prescreen and monitor anti-PEG abs in the patients before or after they receive treatment with PEG-containing drugs.