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London 2nd August 04:- D-Gen Ltd announces launch of its first products- the novel ICSM range of monoclonal antibodies against prion proteins (anti-PrP) for use in research into prion diseases. Prion diseases like BSE or “mad cow disease” and vCJD (variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease) are fatal brain diseases with long incubation periods, measured in years, which pose significant public health challenges. The application of monoclonal antibody technology against these diseases has great potential. The world-class research group underpinning D-Gen technologies has identified several antibodies with unique specifities, which are now being made more widely available (www.d-gen.co.uk). Until now, a key limitation of anti-PrP monoclonal antibodies (Mabs) 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 b-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 b-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 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. Full details are available on the D-Gen website www.d-gen.co.uk . D-Gen Ltd is a research based biomedical company innovating in the field of prion related diseases by developing relevant research, diagnostic and therapeutic targets, technologies and products. D-Gen is an academic spin-out company whose shareholders include Imperial College London, the Medical Research Council, the Wellcome Trust Ltd and Bristol University.
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