The invention provides a method for treating a medical condition, disease, or disorder mediated by a misfolded form of superoxide dismutase (SOD) in a subject in need of treatment. The method optionally comprises administering to the subject a composition comprising a pharmaceutically acceptable vehicle and an agent selected from (1) an exogenous antibody or fragment thereof that binds selectively to the misfolded form of SOD, and/or (2) an immunogen that elicits production of an endogenous antibody that binds selectively to the misfolded form of SOD, and/or (3) a nucleic acid sequence encoding (1) or (2). In certain embodiments, the invention provides methods of treating diseases such as Alzheimers Disease, Parkinsons Disease or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis using amyotrophic disease-specific epitopes, and compositions including these epitopes. The invention also provides antibodies that bind to monomeric or misfolded SOD1, and not on the molecular surface of native homodimeric SOD1. In addition, the invention includes methods of diagnosing Alzheimers Disease, Parkinsons Disease or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in a subject. Also, the invention provides methods of identifying substances for the treatment or prevention of Alzheimers Disease, Parkinsons Disease or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and kits using the binding proteins of the invention.Cette invention concerne une méthode de traitement dun état pathologique, dune maladie ou dun trouble induit par une forme à repliement incorrect de superoxyde dismutase (SOD) chez un sujet nécessitant un tel traitement. Cette méthode consiste éventuellement à administrer au sujet une composition renfermant un excipient pharmaceutiquement acceptable et un agent sélectionné parmi (1) un anticorps exogène ou un fragment de celui-ci qui se lie sélectivement à la forme à repliement incorrect de SOD et/ou (2) un immunogène qui provoque la production dun anticorps endogène qui se lie sélectivement à la forme à repliement incorrect
