In addition to cell signaling experiments, we plan to test a novel detection system for the presence of oxidized lipoprotein (LDL) in the blood. Inflammation in the body (like sepsis, radiation injury, cancer) can induce the generation of reactive oxygen radicals (ROS) which can react with proteins, DNA and other cell structures and alter their structure, therefore causing cell damage. No reliable minimally invasive tests exist to detect biomarkers for oxidative stress in humans. One such biomarker is N-formyl kynurenine (NFK) which can be found on lipoproteins like LDL. We are developing polyclonal antiserum to NKF with the goal of producing a simplified and high throughput method of detecting NFK via ELISA and Western analyses. We propose to purify LDL from human serum by standard methods and use ELISA analysis to determine if the samples contain KFK as detected using our anti-NFK polyclonal serum. These experiments could lead to the development of a simple and reliable non-invasive assay that detects a biomarker for oxidative stress in humans.