Transmissible spongiform encephalopathy test reagents and methods
AssigneeIDEXX Laboratories, Inc.
InventorsLisa Estey, Reet Toomik
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Abstract
The invention provides improved methods and compositions for selectively binding and/or detecting an aggregating abnormal form of a protein in the presence of non-aggregating normal form of the protein.
Claims35
A method for selective binding of an aggregating abnormal form of a protein in the presence of a non-aggregating normal form of the protein, comprising contacting, under selective binding conditions, brain tissue suspected of comprising the aggregating abnormal form and the non-aggregating normal form of the protein with a polyionic material having a binding avidity for the abnormal aggregating form of the protein, a zwitterionic agent, and a discriminating agent, wherein the aggregating abnormal form of the protein selectively binds to the polyionic material.
A method of determining presence or absence of an abnormal aggregating form of a protein in a brain tissue sample in the presence of the non-aggregating normal form of the protein, comprising, contacting under selective binding conditions, brain tissue suspected of comprising the aggregating abnormal form of the protein and the non-aggregating normal form of the protein with a polyionic material having a binding avidity for the abnormal aggregating form of the protein, a discriminating agent and a zwitterionic agent;
- and determining the presence or absence of the abnormal aggregating form of the protein bound to the polyionic material.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.