Applicazione di nanoparticelle magnetiche di Fe3O4 per l'isolamento ed il rilevamento di proteina prionica patologica ovina (PrPSc)

Early diagnosis in Spongiform Transmissible Encephalopathies (TSE) such scrapie in sheep and bovine spongiform encephalopathy in cow is critical in preventing the irreversible neuronal damage that leads to fatal <i>exitus</i>. All approved methods of diagnosis for TSE rely exclusively on detection of pathological prion protein (PrP^Sc), which is present in the brain of the clinically affected animals.<br/> It is well known that metal nanoparticles could serve as potential support structure for biological material including proteins, peptides, enzymes and DNA. A range of different nanoparticles enhance the rate of fibrillation of amyloidogenic protein and adsorb on the surface already misfolded protein.<br/> Here we describe that scrapie-affected sheep brain derived PrP^Sc is absorbed on the surface of magnetic nanoparticles (Fe₃O₄) and completely removed from the aqueous solution, where it is diluted, by using a magnetic field. PrP^Sc absorbed on the nanoparticles surface was demonstrated by immunobiological assays.<br/> These magnetic nanoparticles may, by modifying their surface with functional groups, be useful for early in vivo detection of PrP^Sc in body fluids.