Patent ID: 8647879

Claim:
A peptide probe for the rapid and specific detection of β-amyloid (Aβ) aggregation, comprising a peptide, wherein the peptide probe displays increased emitted fluorescence signals upon coincubation with Aβ oligomers, but not with Aβ monomers or Aβ dimers or Aβ fibrils, relative to the absence of Aβ, wherein the amino acid sequence of Aβ is DAEFRHDSGYEVHHQKLVFFAEDVGSNKGAIIGLMVGGVV; wherein the Aβ monomers are polypeptides containing 40 amino acids, wherein the Aβ dimers are non-covalent complexes of two Aβ monomers, wherein the Aβ oligomers are non-covalent complexes of more than two Aβ monomers, wherein the Aβ monomers, the Aβ dimers and the Aβ oligomers are soluble in an aqueous buffer, and wherein the Aβ fibrils are insoluble non-covalent complexes of a multiple of the Aβ monomers.