Antibodies for specific detection of pathogenic prions of human origin and detection methods using them

摘要

There will be described specific antibodies for the detection of pathogenic prions of human origin, as well as methods for the detection of pathogenic prions. Described particular, we includes a conformation dependent immunoassay method for detecting pathogenic prion proteins in a sample of a body fluid containing a PrP protein which is called a first natural, non pathological conformation, PrP ^c, and a second, pathological conformation, PrP ^Sc, in which the prion proteins in their binding affinity to monoclonal antibodies that specifically bind to prion proteins of human origin are different, and includes the detection method comprising the steps: a) placing the first portion of the sample with the monoclonal antibodies mentioned above, which is fixed to a solid support and has a higher affinity for the first prion protein conformation, and determining this first concentration; b) treating the second portion of the sample to increase the binding affinity of the second conformation of the prion protein of the monoclonal antibody; c) adding to the treated second portion of the test sample with the monoclonal antibody to determine the second concentration; d) comparing to determine the presence of the pathogenic prion protein conformation of the first prion protein concentration with the second prion protein concentration.