Patent ID: 7732146

Claim:
A method for determining whether an agent inhibits the binding of macrophage migration inhibitory factor to an anti-macrophage migration inhibitory factor monoclonal antibody comprising: contacting macrophage migration inhibitory factor produced by THP-1 cells with an agent and thereafter with an anti-macrophage migration inhibitory factor monoclonal antibody, and thereafter measuring a first amount of macrophage migration inhibitory factor bound to the anti-macrophage migration inhibitory factor monoclonal antibody; contacting macrophage migration inhibitory factor produced by THP-1 cells with the anti-macrophage migration inhibitory factor monoclonal antibody in the absence of the agent, and thereafter measuring a second amount of macrophage migration inhibitory factor bound to the anti-macrophage migration inhibitory factor monoclonal antibody; and comparing the first amount of bound macrophage migration inhibitory factor in the presence of the agent with the second amount of bound macrophage migration inhibitory factor in the absence of the agent, wherein a statistically significant decrease in the first amount of bound macrophage migration inhibitory factor compared to the second amount of bound macrophage migration inhibitory factor is indicative of the agent inhibiting the binding of macrophage migration inhibitory factor to the anti-macrophage migration inhibitory factor monoclonal antibody.