Abstract: Subject of the invention is a process for the inactivation of prions in a sample which comprises prion proteins or is suspected of comprising prion proteins, the process comprising a heat treatment in the presence of a lipophilic substance comprising at least 8 carbon atoms, wherein the heat treatment is performed at a temperature below 100° C. at which the lipophilic substance is in a liquid state and under conditions wherein degradation of less than 90% of the prion proteins occurs.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for the selective detection of the presence and/or quantity of pathological protein depositions.

Abstract: The invention relates to an agent and/or pharmaceutical active ingredient and to a method for the treatment, prevention and diagnosis of TSE, and to a method for the production of an agent and/or pharmaceutical active ingredient. According to the invention, peptides and/or nucleotide sequences coding for said peptides are provided as disclosed in the sequence protocols 127 and partial sequences thereof are disclosed. Treatment or prevention of the TSE disease, for example, in humans with Jacob Creutzfeldt syndrome, kuru, Gertmann Sträussler-Scheinker syndrome and FFI (fatal familial insomnia) can be carried out with the aid of the inventive peptides. TSE diseases are also known in animals, such as Scrapie in sheep, BSE in cows and CWD in wild animals.

Abstract: The invention on hand refers to diseases associated with abnormal protein structures, including Alzheimer's disease, Creutzfeldt-Jakob's disease, BSE and other prion-associated diseases. It is the task of the invention on hand to provide new active agents preventing the formation of amyloid plaques and to dissolve existing plaques, such agents being convenient for therapy, diagnosis and prophylaxis of diseases that are associated with abnormal protein structures. This task is performed in terms of the current invention by heterocyclic or aromatic agents with a rigid structure and a donor-acceptor-donor pattern (DAD), the latter being formed by donors and acceptors of hydrogen bridge linkages which comply with the ?-sheet structure of the peptide or protein and thus fit as binding partners. The heterocyclic or aromatic agents are available at least as dimers. They recognise peptides and proteins with a ?-sheet structure, form stable complexes with them and inhibit their aggregation to ?-amyloid plaques.

Abstract: A method for the diagnostic detection of diseases associated with protein depositions (pathological protein depositions) by measuring an association of substructures of the pathological protein depositions, structures forming pathological protein depositions, structures corresponding to pathological protein depositions and/or pathological protein depositions as a probe; to substructures of the pathological protein depositions structures forming pathological protein depositions, structures corresponding to pathological protein deposition and/or pathological protein depositions as targets; characterized in that the target is detected in liquid phase wherein, in the case of detecting Alzheimer's disease, the liquid phase is obtained from body fluids or is itself a body fluid; with the proviso that the association of the probe to the target is measured before self-aggregation of the probe predominates.

Abstract: A method for the diagnostic detection of diseases associated with protein depositions (pathological protein depositions) by measuring an association of substructures of the pathological protein depositions, structures forming pathological protein depositions, structures corresponding to pathological protein depositions and/or pathological protein depositions as a probe; to substructures of the pathological protein depositions, structures forming pathological protein depositions, structures corresponding to pathological protein depositions and/or pathological protein depositions as targets; characterized in that the target is detected in liquid phase wherein, in the case of detecting Alzheimer's disease, the liquid phase is obtained from body fluids or is itself a body fluid; with the proviso that the association of the probe to the target is measured before self-aggregation of the probe predominates.

Abstract: A process for the qualitative and quantitative determination of at least one in vitro amplified nucleic acid in a sealed reaction chamber,wherein during or subsequent to the amplification of the nucleic acid at least one substance (probe) is present which interacts with the nucleic acid to be detected;wherein spectroscopically measurable parameters of said substance (probe) are subject to variation, creating a measurable signal;wherein the sample to be measured is exposed to the action of a gradient capable of at least partially denaturing nucleic acids;with detection of the measurable parameter undergoing variation through the action of the gradient; andthe entire amplification reaction, including qualitative and quantitative determination, may be carried out in a sealed reaction chamber (measuring compartment) without intermittent opening,permitting to automatically operate the diagnostic method of DNA and RNA amplification in qualitative and quantitative fashion on large series of samples.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for the separation and detection of components of a mixture of materials by temperature gradient gel electrophoresis, wherein eithera spatial temperature gradient is built up by spatially separated temperature levels, ora time temperature gradient, ora temperature gradient is built up by combination of spatial and timewise temperature gradient.The temperature levels for building up the spatial temperature gradient are adjusted by controllable heating or cooling devices.To build up the time temperature gradient, the temperature level at each point of the separation path within the separation medium may be optionally adjusted time-dependently by means of controllable heating or cooling devices. There is described a device for performing the process with controllable heating or cooling devices to build up temperature gradients, a hollow body arranged between the temperature levels which contains the medium used for separation, and a thermostat jacket enclosing the hollow body.

Abstract: A method and a device for producing a controllable and reproducible temperature gradient in a predetermined direction of heat-conducting plates for the separation of mixtures of substances in sheet-shaped separating media wherein one edge of a plate is heated by means of one or more controllable heating means and the opposite edge of the plate is cooled by one or more controllable cooling means. In this way, the energy flows through the heating means and of the cooling means are greater than the energy flow across the plate. The method and device are suitable for separating mixtures of substances wherein at least one component undergoes a thermal conversion within the temperature range of the temperature gradient. Therefore, they are suitable for the detection of and differentiation between viroids, satellite RNAs, viruses containing double-strand or circular nucleic as well as for the analysis of protein-nucleic acid complexes and for the analysis of mutations.

Abstract: A process for the chromatographic separation of nucleic acid using a chromatographic carrier material is described in which the surface of the carrier material is specially modified.

Abstract: A reaction kinetics measuring system which provides for the application of great variety of reaction initiating methods, as temperature or pressure or electrical field jump methods, mixing methods, flash photolysis method, and combinations of said methods, and for various optical detection methods, as absorption or fluorescence or scattered light or polarized light detection methods. The system features quickly and easily interchangeable optical elements in a number of optical paths, and a multitude of selectively usable measuring cells to adapt the system to the reaction initiating and detection methods used so that reliable and exactly reproducible results are obtained, which are comparable even if obtained under widely differing conditions.