D-Gen launches products for prion disease research
D-Gen, a research based biomedical company, has launched its novel ICSM range of monoclonal antibodies against prion proteins (anti-PrP) for use in research into prion diseases, such as vCJD.
D-Gen, a research based biomedical company, has launched its novel ICSM range of monoclonal antibodies against prion proteins (anti-PrP) for use in research into prion diseases, such as vCJD.
The application of monoclonal antibody technology against these diseases is said to have great potential. The research group underpinning D-Gen technologies has identified several antibodies with unique specificities, which are now being made more widely available.
Until now, a key limitation of anti-PrP monoclonal antibodies has been their inability to distinguish between normal prion protein (PrP) and the rogue form associated with disease (PrPSc). Consequently antibodies capable of detecting native PrPSc for use in FACS analysis, immunoprecipitation or in vivo studies have not been available.
But scientists behind D-Gen used the novel immunogen ß-PrP, an altered conformer of PrP, a compact, highly soluble monomeric form, rich in beta-sheet structure and that has many properties in common with PrPSc .
Several monoclonals raised against recombinant ß-PrP have high affinity for, and can efficiently immunoprecipitate, native PrPSc. One such antibody (ICSM35) in conjunction with ICSM18 has already been applied to develop a cattle BSE diagnostic test which proved 100% specific and sensitive on independent evaluation by the European Commission. ICSM 18 & 35 antibodies have also been used successfully in both in vitro and in vivo therapeutic studies. ICSM 18 is also particularly useful in detecting mouse PrP against which there have been limited reagents available.
Other isolated Mabs ICSM 3, ICSM4 and ICSM10 have the ability to differentially distinguish between prion protein glycoforms without denaturation. The D-Gen ICSM range of Mabs raised against recombinant human prion proteins are ideal for prion research, the company says, due to their high affinity, specificity, purity and their ability to detect PrP from a wide variety of species including human, cattle, mouse, sheep and hamster.