In vitro detection of prions in blood

1. A method for the amplification of a prion disease-associated conformer of prion protein (PrP D ) in a blood sample comprising the steps of:

providing a blood sample containing a PrP D ;

freezing the blood sample;

thawing the blood sample;

repeating the freezing and thawing steps one or more times;

contacting the blood sample with an excess of a non-pathogenic conformer of PrP C or a non-pathogenic conformer of recombinant PrP;

incubating the blood sample with the non-pathogenic conformer;

disaggregating any aggregates of PrP D formed during the incubating step; and

repeating the incubating and disaggregating steps one or more times to yield an amplified PrP D in the sample.

2. The method for the amplification of a prion disease-associated conformer of prion protein in a blood sample according to claim 1 wherein the steps of freezing and thawing are performed a plurality of times.

3. The method for the amplification of a prion disease-associated conformer of prion protein in a blood sample according to claim 1 wherein the steps of freezing and thawing are performed four or more times.

4. The method for the amplification of a prion disease-associated conformer of prion protein in a blood sample according to claim 1 wherein the samples are frozen to about −80° C. or colder.

5. The method for the amplification of a prion disease-associated conformer of prion protein in a blood sample according to claim 1 wherein the samples are frozen to about −20° C. or colder.

6. The method for the amplification of a prion disease-associated conformer of prion protein in a blood sample according to claim 1 wherein the samples are frozen at about −80° C. or colder for about 30 or more minutes.

7. The method for the amplification of a prion disease-associated conformer of prion protein in a blood sample according to claim 1 wherein the samples are thawed at about 22° C. or warmer.

8. The method for the amplification of a prion disease-associated conformer of prion protein in a blood sample according to claim 1 wherein the samples are thawed at about 4° C. or warmer.

9. The method for the amplification of a prion disease-associated conformer of prion protein in a blood sample according to claim 1 wherein the samples are thawed at about 22° C. or warmer for about 60 minutes.

10. The method for the amplification of a prion disease-associated conformer of prion protein in a blood sample according to claim 1 further comprising the step of precipitating the PrP D in a blood sample sodium phosphotungstic acid (NaPTA) following the thawing step and prior to amplifying the PrP D .

11. The method for the amplification of a prion disease-associated conformer of prion protein in a blood sample according to claim 1 further comprising the step of screening the amplified PrP D for the presence of PrP D .

12. The method for the amplification of a prion disease-associated conformer of prion protein in a blood sample according to claim 1 further comprising the steps of contacting the sample with thioflavin T (ThT) prior to an incubating step and measuring the fluorescence of the resulting sample after an incubating step, whereby the fluorescence of the ThT in the sample following incubation allows the presence of PrP D in the sample to be determined.

13. A method for the detection of a prion disease-associated conformer of prion protein (PrP D ) in a sample comprising the steps of:

providing a sample to be screened for PrP D ;

freezing and thawing the sample two (2) or more times;

contacting the thawed sample with an excess of a non-pathogenic conformer of PrP C or a non-pathogenic conformer of recombinant PrP;

incubating the contacted sample with the non-pathogenic conformer;

disaggregating any aggregates of PrP D formed during the incubating step;

repeating the incubating and disaggregating steps one or more times to yield an amplified PrP D in the sample; and

screening the incubated sample for PrP D , whereby the method amplifies the PrP D in the sample to detectable levels.

14. The method for the amplification of a prion disease-associated conformer of prion protein in a blood sample according to claim 13 further comprising the steps of contacting the sample with ThT prior to an incubating step and measuring the fluorescence of the resulting sample after an incubating step, whereby the fluorescence of the ThT in the sample following incubation allows the presence of PrP D in the sample to be determined.

15. The method according to claim 13 wherein the samples are blood samples and the samples are frozen at about −20° C. or colder for about 30 minutes or more and subsequently thawed at about 4° C. or warmer for about 60 minutes or more.

16. The method according to claim 13 wherein the samples are subjected to at least four (4) freeze-thaw cycles.

17. The method according to claim 13 further comprising the step of homogenizing the sample after the freezing and thawing steps.

18. A method for the detection of a prion disease-associated conformer of prion protein (PrP D ) in a blood sample comprising the steps of:

providing a blood sample to be screened for PrP D ;

freezing and thawing the blood sample two (2) or more times;

contacting the blood sample with an excess of a non-pathogenic conformer of recombinant PrP;

incubating the blood sample with the non-pathogenic conformer;

disaggregating any aggregates of PrP D formed during the incubating step;

repeating the incubating and disaggregating steps one or more times to yield an amplified PrP D in the sample; and

screening the incubated sample for PrP D , whereby the method amplifies the PrP D in the sample to detectable levels.