DETECTION OF DISEASE-ASSOCIATED TAU PROTEIN CONFORMATIONS AND APPLICATIONS THEREOF

摘要

The present invention provides a method for detecting an amyloidogenic tau protein in a bodily fluid (e.g., CSF) sample from a subject. The method comprises incubating the sample or a purified fraction thereof in vitro with a monomeric tau protein to form tau amyloid, and detecting the presence of the tau amyloid. The method may further comprise determining a conformational feature of the tau amyloid and comparing it with a reference conformation feature of tau amyloid formed in vitro in the presence of an amyloidogenic tau protein from a patient who suffers from a neurological disease or disorder. The reference conformational feature may be absent from tau amyloid formed in vitro in the presence of an amyloidogenic tau protein from a healthy control. Also provided are kits useful for carrying out the detection method.