Patents by Inventor Stanley B. Prusiner

Stanley B. Prusiner has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Formation and use of prion protein (PRP) complexes
    Patent number: 5750361
    Abstract: Prion protein (PrP) peptides having at least one .alpha.-helical domain and forming a random coil conformation in aqueous solutions bind cellular PrP (PrP.sup.C) to form a complex having characteristics of the scrapie isoform (PrP.sup.Sc). Methods for screening compounds able to inhibit or decrease the binding of PrP peptides to PrP.sup.C are disclosed, as well as methods for assaying PrP.sup.Sc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 1995
    Date of Patent: May 12, 1998
    Assignee: The Regents of the University of California
    Inventors: Stanley B. Prusiner, Kivotoshi Kaneko, Fred E. Cohen
  • Method of detecting prions in a sample and transgenic animal used for same
    Patent number: 5565186
    Abstract: Prions are protein based infectious material that cause of variety of diseases such as Scrapie, bovine spongiform encephalopathy (also known as "Mad Cow" disease), Creutzfeldt Jakob Disease, Kuru, and fatal familial insomnia. The invention is directed to artificial prion genes that are made up of elements of the prion genes of a host and test species. When these artificial prion genes are inserted into a transgenic mouse, the resultant mouse becomes susceptible to infection with prions that infect the test species but do not normally infect mice. The transgenic animals are useful for testing for the presence of prions in a sample.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 1994
    Date of Patent: October 15, 1996
    Assignee: The Regents of the University of California
    Inventors: Stanley B. Prusiner, Michael R. Scott, Glenn Telling