Method of detecting prions in a sample and transgenic animal used for same

US5565186A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• The Regents of the University of California · US

Inventors

• Stanley B. Prusiner · San Francisco, US
• Michael R. Scott · Kama'oa Homesteads, US
• Glenn C. Telling · San Francisco, US

Key dates

• Filing date: May 13, 1994
• Grant date: Oct 15, 1996
• Expiry date: May 13, 2014

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G01N2800/2828
• WIPO field: Pharmaceuticals
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

Prions are protein based infectious material that cause of variety of diseases such as Scrapie, bovine spongiform encephalopathy (also known as "Mad Cow" disease), Creutzfeldt Jakob Disease, Kuru, and fatal familial insomnia. The invention is directed to artificial prion genes that are made up of elements of the prion genes of a host and test species. When these artificial prion genes are inserted into a transgenic mouse, the resultant mouse becomes susceptible to infection with prions that infect the test species but do not normally infect mice. The transgenic animals are useful for testing for the presence of prions in a sample.