Detection of protease-resistant prion protein after asymmetric spontaneous interaction
AssigneeRoche Diagnostics Operations, Inc.
InventorDieter Gassner
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Abstract
The present invention concerns methods for detecting infectious prion protein with improved sensitivity. For this purpose the heterologous non-pathogenic protease-sensitive prion protein PrPc is added to a sample to be examined and is transformed into protease-resistant prion aggregates by asymmetric spontaneous interaction when the infectious prion protein PrPSc is present in the sample.
Claims26
A method for detecting the presence of prion protein PrPSc in a sample obtained from an animal, said method comprising:
- (a) contacting said sample with heterologous protease-sensitive prion protein PrPc;
- (b) incubating said sample under conditions suitable for the spontaneous binding of the heterologous protease-sensitive prion protein PrPc to prion protein PrPSc present in the sample;
- (c) adding a protease to the sample;
- and
- (d) screening for the presence of protease-resistant prion protein aggregates in the sample.
A method for detecting prion protein PrPSc in a sample, said method comprising the steps:
- (a) providing a sample to be examined;
- (b) adding heterologous protease-sensitive prion protein PrPc to said sample;
- (c) transforming the added heterologous protease-sensitive prion protein PrPc into protease-resistant prion protein aggregates when PrPSc is present in the sample;
- (d) adding a protease to said sample;
- and
- (e) detecting protease-resistant prion protein aggregates in the sample.
A method for diagnosing a TSE (transmissible spongiform encephalopathy) disease, said method comprising the steps of:
- (a) obtaining a biological sample from an animal;
- (b) contacting said sample with heterologous protease-sensitive prion protein PrPc;
- (c) incubating said sample under conditions suitable for the spontaneous binding of the heterologous protease-sensitive prion protein PrPc to prion protein PrPSc present in the sample;
- (d) adding a protease to the sample;
- and
- (e) screening for the presence of protease-resistant prion protein aggregates in the sample, wherein detection of protease-resistant prion protein aggregates is diagnostic for a TSE disease.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.