Commissariat a L'energie Atomique

Bio-rad Pasteur

Emmanuel Comoy

Jean-Philippe Deslys

Jacques Grassi

Michel Rastorgoueff

The invention relates to a method for diagnosing a transmissible spongiform subacute encephalopathy (TSSE) caused by an unconventional transmissible agent (UTA) or prion. The method involves treating a sample suspected of containing a prion with proteinase K for a time and under conditions that completely degrade normal prion protein (Prp-sen), but which only partially digest abnormal prion protein (PrP-res) so that all or some of the octapeptide motif repeats comprising P(H/Q)GGG(-/T)WGQ (SEQ ID NO: 1) in the abnormal prion protein (Prp-res) are retained.

Method for diagnosing a transmissible spongiform subacute encephalopathy caused by an unconventional transmissible agent strain in a biological sample

Method for diagnosing a transmissible spongiform subacute encephalyopathy caused by an unconventional transmissible agent strain in a biological sample

The invention relates to a device for collecting a soft biological sample and to a method for using the same. The device comprises a hollow cylindrical body ( ) with two openings ( A, B), one at each end, wherein a piston ( ) with a rod ( ) is inserted via a first end and the piston-and-rod assembly can be displaced back and forth inside the hollow cylindrically ( ), the opening in the second end ( B) of the hollow cylindrical body ( ) has a slicing edge ( B) and this second end carries a cutting wire arranged across its opening.

Growing community of inventors

Le Plessis-Robinson, France

Emmanuel Comoy