The efficient and specific isolation of the antibodies from human serum by thiophilic paramagnetic polymer nanospheres

A rapid and effective method to specifically isolate the antibodies from human serum was presented based on the fast magnetic separation and specific adsorption of the novel thiophilic magnetic polymer nanospheres, which were synthesized by using miniemulsion copolymerization. After the thiophilic heterocyclic ligands of 2‐mercaptonicotinic acid were first activated via divinyl sulfone, they were immobilized on the surface of these magnetic nanospheres, through which the strong specificity to immunoglobulin G was evidently expressed in the isolation of antibodies from human serum. The mild conditions used in the process, including the physiological pH range, low temperature, and low ion strength, were so favorable for keeping the biological activity of antibodies, which resulted in their bioactivity purity to exceed 99%. The efficient isolation, simplicity process, mild conditions, and the conventional equipments required make this technology so attractive to purify antibodies from human serum. © 2009 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 2009