•  
  •  
 

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Keywords

capillary electrophoresis assay, isoenzyme, TK1, breast cancer

College

Physical and Mathematical Sciences

Department

Chemistry and Biochemistry

Abstract

The isoenzyme thymidine kinase (TK1), found in human serum, has been shown to be a cancer tumor marker. It has demonstrated both diagnostic and prognostic value in the treatment of breast cancer.1 Currently TK1 levels are measured by radioimmunoassay and enzyme-linked immunosorbant assay (ELISA). Radioimmunoassay is not specific for TK1, is relatively expensive, uses radioactive materials and is labor intensive. Immunoassays of TK1 have been developed which are selective and sensitive but they are still labor intensive. A new assay is needed to make the information TK1 can provide accessible to physicians who treat and diagnose cancer. Capillary electrophoresis (CE) would be well suited to medical application because of the high degree of automation, small sample requirements and long lifetime of columns. Because of the narrow volume of the capillaries that are used, high speed, high resolution seperations can be achieved from minimal detection volumes. My research was a small step aimed at developing a test for TK1 that could be developed commercially.

Download

Included in

Chemistry Commons

Share

COinS