Cell tests for alzheimer's disease

US5976816A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• The United States of America, as represented by the Department of Health and Human Services · US

Inventors

• Daniel L. Alkon · Bethesda, US
• Rene Etcheberrigaray · Bethesda, US
• Christopher S. Kim · Silver Spring, US
• Yi Han · Shanghai, CN
• Tom Nelson · Silver Spring, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Sep 26, 1994
• Grant date: Nov 2, 1999
• Expiry date: Sep 26, 2014

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G01N2800/2821
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

The present invention provides methods for the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease using human cells. Specifically, one method detects differences between potassium channels in cells from Alzheimer's patient and normal donors, and differences in intracellular calcium concentrations between Alzheimer's and normal cells in response to chemicals known to increase intracellular calcium levels. Other methods detect differences between the memory associated GTP binding Cp20 protein levels between Alzheimer's and normal cells.