University of Texas System

Amprion, Inc.

Claudio Soto Jara

Mohammad Shahnawaz

Benedikt K Vollrath

Russell M Lebovitz

Luis Concha

A method is provided for distinguishing between and/or diagnosing Parkinson's disease (PD) or multiple system atrophy (MSA) in a subject who is exhibiting symptoms associated with both PD and MSA. The method comprises: (A) contacting a biological sample obtained from the subject and comprising soluble, misfolded alpha-synuclein (αS) protein with a pre-incubation mixture comprising a monomeric αS substrate and an indicator to form an incubation mixture; (B) conducting an incubation cycle two or more times on the incubation mixture to form misfolded αS aggregates; (C) subjecting the incubation mixture to excitation and detecting via indicator fluorescence emission the misfolded αS aggregates; and (D) diagnosing the subject has having PD or MSA depending on the fluorescence emission intensity. In some aspects, the incubation cycles are conducted in the presence of a bead.

Discriminating Parkinson's disease from multiple system atrophy using alpha-synuclein PMCA

Methods and kits are provided for amplifying and detecting &#x3b1;S proteins from samples, for example, from patients having Parkinson's Disease. For example, a method for determining a presence of a soluble, misfolded &#x3b1;S protein may include: contacting the sample with a monomeric, folded &#x3b1;S protein to form an incubation mixture; conducting an incubation cycle two or more times on the incubation mixture effective to form an amplified portion of misfolded &#x3b1;S protein; incubating the incubation mixture effective to cause misfolding and/or aggregation of at least a portion of the monomeric, folded &#x3b1;S protein in the presence of the soluble, misfolded &#x3b1;S protein; physically disrupting the incubation mixture effective to at least partly de-aggregate at least a portion of a misfolded &#x3b1;S aggregate present; and determining the presence of the soluble, misfolded &#x3b1;S protein in the sample by detecting at least a portion of the soluble, misfolded &#x3b1;S protein.

Detection of misfolded alpha synuclein protein

Methods and kits are provided for amplifying and detecting A&#x3b2; proteins from samples, for example, from patients having Alzheimer's Disease. For example, a method for determining a presence of a soluble, misfolded A&#x3b2; protein may include contacting the sample with a monomeric, folded A&#x3b2; protein to form an incubation mixture; conducting an incubation cycle two or more times on the incubation mixture effective to form an amplified portion of misfolded A&#x3b2; protein; incubating the incubation mixture effective to cause misfolding and/or aggregation of at least a portion of the monomeric, folded A&#x3b2; protein; physically disrupting the incubation mixture effective to at least partly de-aggregate at least a portion of a misfolded A&#x3b2; aggregate present; and determining the presence of the soluble, misfolded A&#x3b2; protein in the sample by detecting at least a portion of the amplified portion of misfolded A&#x3b2; protein.

Growing community of inventors

Friendswood, TX, United States of America

Claudio Soto Jara