| abstract |
Soluble beta -amyloid peptide ( beta AP) is measured in biological fluids at very low concentrations, typically in the range from 0.1 ng/ml to 10 ng/ml. The measurement of beta AP concentrations in animals or conditioned medium from cultured cells can be used for drug screening, where test compounds are administered to the animals or exposed to the cultured cells and the accumulation of beta AP in the animal or culture medium observed. It has been found that elevated levels of beta AP in body fluids, such as blood and cerebrospinal fluid, is associated with the presence of a beta AP-related condition in a patient, such as Alzheimer's Disease. Methods for diagnosing and monitoring beta AP-related conditions comprise measuring the levels of beta AP in such body fluids from a patient. |