Method for detecting prions

摘要

The present invention provides assays for identifying the levels of both protease sensitive and protease resistant conformers of PrP<Sc >in a sample. In a preferred embodiment, the assay comprises determining levels of total PrP<Sc >in a sample, subjecting the PrP<Sc >fraction to treatment with a protease that selectively hydrolyzes the protease sensitive PrP<Sc >(sPrP<Sc>) conformers, and quantifying the levels of sPrP<Sc >in the sample. The ability to detect sPrP<Sc >allows early detection of prions, since the PrP<Sc >in easily accessible biological samples such as blood is predominantly sPrP<Sc>. The ratio of sPrP<Sc >to rPrP<Sc >also allows the identification of a particular prion strain in an infected sample.