Patent ID: 7566543

Claim:
A method for increasing the discriminating value of a test when testing at least one sample obtained from a mammal for the presence or absence of an aberrant prion protein, the method comprising: using said at least one sample to prepare a test set and a control set without administration of a denaturation agent; denaturing protein in said test set with guanidine thiocyanate or one or more chaotropic agents so as to enhance antibody reactivity towards aberrant protein, while antibody reactivity towards a normal form of the protein is reduced or unchanged; leaving said control set untreated with guanidine thiocyanate or one or more chaotropic agents; incubating said test set and said control set with anti-PrP Sc antibodies; probing said test set and said control set for the presence or absence of an aberrant prion protein; and determining with said anti-PrP Sc antibodies instances of increased antibody reactivity as a function of denaturation in guanidine thiocyanate or one or more chaotropic agents in the test set versus the control set.