Recent advances in solid-phase peptide synthesis and preparation of antibodies to synthetic peptides.

Peptides prepared by the solid-phase peptide synthesis (SPPS) approach are used increasingly in biological research, for instance to elicit anti-peptide antibodies that will recognize the intact, cognate protein. Recent advances in SPPS are reviewed, including the use of new coupling reagents, new methods for evaluating peptide purity and new techniques of automated and multiple peptide synthesis. Methods for enhancing peptide immunogenicity are discussed such as the use of adjuvants and liposomes, and of synthetic branched polypeptides as carriers.