Patent ID: 7514225

Claim:
A method for detecting an agent that inhibits the binding of macrophage migration inhibitory factor to an anti-macrophage migration inhibitor factor monoclonal or polyclonal antibody, comprising: contacting a test sample containing macrophage migration inhibitory factor produced by THP-1 cells with an agent, and thereafter with an anti-macrophage migration inhibitory factor monoclonal or polyclonal antibody, wherein the anti-macrophage migration inhibitory factor monoclonal or polyclonal antibody has a specific binding activity for macrophage inhibitory factor of at least about 1×10 5 M −1 , and measuring an amount of macrophage migration inhibitory factor in the test sample, wherein an amount of detectable macrophage migration inhibitory factor is indicative of binding of the anti-macrophage migration inhibitory factor monoclonal or polyclonal antibody to the macrophage migration inhibitory factor contacted with the agent; contacting a control sample containing macrophage migration inhibitory factor produced by THP-1 cells with an anti-macrophage migration inhibitory factor monoclonal or polyclonal antibody in the absence of the agent, and measuring an amount of macrophage migration inhibitory factor in the control sample, wherein an amount of detectable macrophage migration inhibitory factor is indicative of binding of the anti-macrophage migration inhibitory factor monoclonal or polyclonal antibody to the macrophage migration inhibitory factor not contacted with the agent; and comparing the amount of detectable macrophage migration inhibitory factor in the test sample with the amount of detectable macrophage migration inhibitory factor in the control sample, wherein a statistically significant decrease in the test sample amount as compared to the control sample amount is indicative of the agent inhibiting the binding of macrophage migration inhibitory factor to the anti-macrophage migration inhibitory factor monoclonal or polyclonal antibody.