High-performance affinity beads for identifying drug receptors

We have developed a method using novel latex beads for rapid identification of drug receptors using affinity purification. Composed of a glycidylmetha crylate (GMA) and styrene copolymer core with a GMA polymer surface, the be ads minimize nonspecific protein binding and maximize purification efficien cy. We demonstrated their performance by efficiently purifying FK506-bindin g protein using FK506-conjugated beads, and found that the amount of materi al needed was significantly reduced compared with previous methods. Using t he latex beads, we identified a redox-related factor, Ref-1, as a target pr otein of an anti-NF-kappa B drug, E3330, demonstrating the existence of a n ew class of receptors of anti-NF-kappa B drugs. Our results suggest that th e latex beads could provide a tool for the identification and analysis of d rug receptors and should therefore be useful in drug development.