Assessment and comparison of the barriers to interspecies transmission of bovine spongiform encephalopathy and chronic wasting disease prions

Authors

  • K. A. Davenport Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80521
  • D. M. Henderson Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80521
  • C. K. Mathiason Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80521
  • E. A. Hoover Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80521

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.21423/aabppro20153580

Keywords:

prion disease, epidemiology, species barriers

Abstract

Prion diseases are transmissible, neurodegenerative diseases caused by templated conversion of the normal cellular prion protein to a misfolded, neurotoxic form. After conversion, the misfolded protein aggregates into characteristic protease-resistant amyloid plaques, which are hallmarks of prion disease. Species barriers among prion diseases have been observed epidemiologically and experimentally, but the mechanism(s) mediating this phenomenon remains unknown, making it impossible to predict the risk of transmission to new species, including humans, and to formulate therapies and prophylactics... Functional demonstration of the mechanism(s) resulting in the species barriers is the principal question addressed in this research.

Cover image of the 48th Conference Proceedings: An image of Dr. Fred Gingrich II dressed in a red shirt and overalls and standing in front of dairy cows in a barn interior. Yellow background.

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Published

2015-09-17

Issue

2015

Section

Research Summaries 1

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