In this SBIR Phase I application, Repligen proposes: (1) to synthesize a solid phase array of about 20,000 novel chemical structures with molecular features consistent with heparin/heparan sulfate; ( 2) to screen this biased library for those structures which show affinity for vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF); (3) to evaluate solid phase compounds which show binding activity for VEGF in a series of secondary assays and to select those with specificity for VEGF and moderate (I.e. KD=10-7 to 10-8 M) binding affinity; and (4) to evaluate 3-5 selected solid phase compounds as potential novel affinity matrices for VEGF purification. Successful completion of the Phase I objectives of this program will produce a new tool for the purification of VEGF, a potentially important new therapeutic protein. More broadly, success in completing the Phase I objectives will establish the feasibility of this approach. General application of the technology which would be developed during Phase 2 of the proposed project can provide new affinity chromatography matrices for a wide variety of commercially important proteins. New protein purification tools such as these affinity matrices will be critical for the successful commercialization of many proteins produced through biotechnology.
