Assay for detecting the amount or presence of target ligand in a sample.
The assay includes a ligand analogue conjugate having a linkage site and a
binding site, a ligand receptor, and a sample. The assay includes the
steps of providing at least one crosstalk inhibitor. This inhibitor, under
assay conditions, competes with the linkage site of the ligand analogue
conjugate for binding to the ligand receptor, and does not compete with
the binding site of the ligand analogue conjugate for binding to the
ligand receptor. In the invention, the assay is performed for the target
ligand in the presence of a sufficient amount of the crosstalk inhibitor
to reduce the amount of binding of the linkage site of the ligand analogue
conjugate to the ligand receptor. The invention also features a method for
identifying crosstalk inhibitors, and the crosstalk inhibitors themselves.
