Monoclonal Antibodies Specific for 4,6-Diamino-5-(Formylamino) Pyrimidine

The present invention describes monoclonal antibodies that are specific for 4,6-Diamino-5-(formylamino)pyrimidine. This structure, also known as FAPY-A, is formed in DNA bases by single electron oxidation reactions caused primarily by oxygen free radicals. Damage to DNA of this sort, along with its alternate product 8-hytdroxy-pyrimidine derivatives, can result in mutations from misreading if not first repaired. In the case of free radical oxidations of the DNA base Adenine, FAPY-A and 8-OH-A formed under more oxidative redox conditions. These different reaction products and their expression in biological tissues seems to correlate well with precancerous and cancerous changes in tissues. Thus, detection of FAPY-A and 8-OH-A via immunoassay may provide important future cancer risk information to individuals. Detection of FAPY-A in populations of various species can also act as an indicator of environmental damage.