Antibodies for discrimination of prions

1. A kit for the detection of infectious prions comprising:

a solid support having bound thereto an anti-nucleic acid antibody, wherein the anti-nucleic acid antibody binds to deoxyribonucleic acid present in infectious prions found in Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease brain homogenates, and

a labeled prion specific antibody, wherein the labeled prion specific antibody binds to infectious prions.

2. A method for diagnosing transmissible spongiform encephalopathies in a patient comprising:

drawing a sample from a patient,

contacting the sample with the anti-nucleic acid antibody of the kit of claim 1 bound to the solid support,

then adding the prion specific antibody of the kit of claim 1 to form a complex between the anti-nucleic acid antibody, any infectious prions present in the sample, and the prion specific antibody, and

detecting the complexes, whereby detecting the complexes provides an indication of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies in a patient.

3. A kit for the detection of infectious prions comprising:

a solid support having bound thereto a prion specific antibody, wherein the prion specific antibody binds to infectious prions, and

a labeled anti-nucleic acid antibody, wherein the labeled anti-nucleic acid antibody binds to deoxyribonucleic acid present in infectious prions found in Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease brain homogenates.

4. A method for diagnosing transmissible spongiform encephalopathies in a patient comprising:

drawing a sample from a patient,

contacting the sample with the prion specific antibody of the kit of claim 1 bound to the solid support,

then adding the anti-nucleic acid antibody of the kit of claim 3 to form a complex between the prion specific antibody, any infectious prions present in the sample, and the anti-nucleic acid antibody, and

detecting the complexes, whereby detecting the complexes provides an indication of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies in a patient.