Patent ID: 7566530

Claim:
A method for detecting PrP in a biological sample of human or animal origin that may contain said PrP, comprising: a) contacting the biological sample with a molecule selected from the group consisting of polyallylamine, triethylenetetraamine (TET), bis-3-aminopropylamine, spermine tetrahydrochloride, dihydrostreptomycin sesquisulfate, streptomycin, and salts of streptomycin to form PrP aggregates in a reaction mixture; b) adding to the sample a macrocyclic ligand having general formula (I): where: R 1 represents a hydrogen atom, a hydroxyl group, an OR group or an OCOR group, R being as defined below, R 2 represents a hydrogen atom or an R, COR, Pol or CH 2 Pol group, in which Pol represents a phosphate, sulfate, amine, ammonium or carboxylic acid group, and R is as defined below, R 3 represents a hydrogen atom, a hydroxyl group, an OR group or an OCOR group in which R is as defined below, R 4 represents a hydrogen atom, a hydroxyl group, an OR group, an OCH 2 R group or an OCOR group, in which R is as defined below, Y is a carbon, nitrogen or sulfur atom, R 5 and R 6 each independently are absent or represent a hydrogen atom, a CH 2 group or an R group as defined below, or else R 5 and R 6 together represent an oxygen or sulfur atom, X represents a CH 2 group, or an oxygen or sulfur atom, m represents an integer equal to 0 or 1, R represents a hydrogen atom or a saturated or unsaturated, branched or unbranched, cyclic or noncyclic hydrocarbon-based chain which may or may not be substituted with a halogen group, and which carries polar or nonpolar functions, n is an integer between 3 and 15, and the substituents R 1 to R 5 , R, X and Y and the integer m may be different in nature according to the units; and c) detecting the presence of PrP.