Patent ID: 7303750

Claim:
A kit for improving antibody specificity comprising a combination of at least two different hapten-carrier protein conjugates, wherein the combination is selected from the group consisting of (a) a first hapten-carrier protein conjugate wherein the hapten is conjugated to a first carrier by a first linker in combination with a second hapten-carrier protein conjugate wherein the hapten is conjugated to a second carrier, which can be the same as or different from the first carrier, by a second different linker; (b) a first hapten-carrier protein conjugate wherein the hapten is conjugated to a first carrier with a first linkage in combination with a second hapten-carrier protein conjugate wherein the hapten is conjugated to a second carrier, which can be the same as or different from the first carrier, by a second different linkage: (c) a first hapten-carrier protein conjugate wherein the hapten is conjugated to a first carrier with a first linker and a first linkage in combination with a second hapten-carrier protein conjugate wherein the hapten is conjugated to a second carrier, which can be the same as or different from the first carrier, by a second different linker and a second different linkage, and combinations thereof, wherein the hapten-conjugate comprises a glycated peptide mimic of a glycated peptide sequence which is the target epitope, wherein the peptide mimic is constructed to conformationally mimic the conformation of the peptide in the native protein, wherein the peptide mimic contains no charged groups or other immunodominant group, and wherein the peptide mimic is connected to a spacer sequence equivalent to a peptide spacer of between one and thirty amino acids in length, which serves to position the peptide mimic in a conformation that approximates its conformation in the native protein.