TEST OF DETECTION OF PRION PROTEINS IN A CONFORMATION ASSOCIATED WITH A DISEASE.

摘要

An assay method for determining the presence of prion protein (PrP) in its disease-related conformation (PrPSc), comprising the steps of: pretreating a sample, suspected of containing PrP protein, to destroy or eliminate non-protein-related proteins PrP, thereby reducing the concentration of protein in the sample other than PrPSc protein; treating the pretreated sample with a compound that destroys or hydrolyzes all, or substantially all, of the PrPc in the sample but does not hydrolyze the PrPSc in the sample; stop the hydrolyzing reaction; contact the pretreated sample, and treat it with a binding partner that joins PrPSc in the sample; and determine the presence of PrPSc in the sample based on the union of the binding partner.