Patent ID: 6379905
Filing Date: 2002-04-30
Classification: A61K,C07K

Abstract:
A method for detecting prion proteins of antibodies against prion proteins which comprises incubating a sample with an antibody or antigen binding fragment that will cross react with prion proteins in more than one species and which specifically binds to a synthetic polypeptide comprising a sequence according to general Formula (I):X-(R1-Lys-His-R2)-Ala-Gly-Ala-Ala-Ala-R3-Gly-Ala-Val-Val-Glyâ€”Gly-Leu-Gly-Gly-Tyr-Met-Leu-Gly-Ser-Ala-Met-Ser-(Arg-Pro-R4-R5)-Y (Formula I (SEQ ID NO: 52)) â€ƒwherein: R1 is an amino acid residue selected from Met, Leu and Phe; R2 is either Met or Val; R3 is Ala or is absent; R4 and R5 are independently an amino acid residue selected from Leu, Ile and Met; one or more residues within the parentheses are present or absent with the proviso that if they are present they are attached to the rest of the peptide in sequence; and X and Y are each independently absent or one or more additional amino acid residues, with the proviso that when present neither X nor Y provide or form part of an antigenic property of the prion protein which, in the corresponding portion of sequence of a natural prion protein, is contiguous with the sequence to which X and Y are attached; and assaying the incubated samples to detect the prion proteins or antibodies.