Patent ID: 6900019
Filing Date: 2005-05-31
Classification: G01N

Abstract:
1. An improved method of conducting a specific binding assay for the presence of an intracellular analyte in a cultured cell sample which method comprises the steps of: i) mixing a sample of cultured cells with a cell lysis reagent to provide a lysed cellular sample; ii) mixing and reacting the lysed cellular sample with a specific binding assay reagent comprising a specific binding partner of the intracellular analyte and a tracer to perform a specific binding assay; thus forming a reaction mixture comprising a specific-binding partner-intracellular analyte complex; iii) mixing the lysed cellular sample with a cyclodextrin sequestrant for the cell lysis reagent, whereby the specific binding assay of step ii) is performed in the presence of the sequestrant; and iv) detecting the presence of the specific binding partner-intracellular analyte complex, the presence of which is indicative of the presence of intracellular analyte in the sample wherein the improvement lies in adding the sequestrant in the amount of 0.5-10% by weight based on the weight of the reaction mixture.