The long-term goal of this project is to develop a rapid, safe, and sensitive test for the abnormal isofomms of prion (PrP/res) proteins associated with the transmissible spongifomm encephalopathies (TSE). The Surface Enhanced Raman Immunoassay (SERIA) assay to be evaluated will facilitate testing of samples with a minimum of handling (for safety and speed) at a high level of sensitivity and specificity. This will allow development of ante mortem tests in addition to application of the assay to postmortem diagnosis of TSEs. Availably of such tests will support (a) diagnostic testing of patients potentially affected by TSEs, (b) rapid screening of animal and possibly human populations for TSEs by ante mortem (blood, Lymphoid tissues, etc.) or postmortem (Lymphoid tissues, brain) testing and, (c) studies that seek to better understand the pathogenesis of TSEs. Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) of deer and elk will be used as a model for other TSEs. Specific goals are to evaluate sensitivity of the SERIA for CWD PrP/res in brain and blood samples and to determine specificity of the SERIA for CWD PrP/res in brain and blood samples.
Currently there are no antemortem test for TSE. This will represent the first such test and will have commercial application for testing patients suspected to have TSE. A much larger commercial application will be the screening of domestic animals to eliminate TSE.
