Patent ID: 8372593

Claim:
A method for detecting the presence or amount of misfolded protein in a sample, said method comprising: (a) combining (i) a sample containing or suspected of containing a misfolded protein with (ii) a conformational capture peptide to make a mixture, wherein the conformational capture peptide preferentially interacts with the pathogenic, misfolded form of the misfolded protein and assumes a predominantly β-sheet conformation upon association with the misfolded protein, (b) incubating the mixture for an amount of time sufficient to form a complex comprising an association of at least one molecule of any misfolded protein present in the sample and at least one molecule of conformational capture peptide, (c) exposing the mixture to conditions that separate, at least partially, the complex, if present, from at least one other substance in the mixture, and (d) detecting the presence or absence of any association between the conformational capture peptide and any misfolded protein.