scholarly journals Immunotherapy against Prion Disease

Pathogens ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 216 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yue Ma ◽  
Jiyan Ma
Keyword(s):  
Prion Disease ◽  
Therapeutic Strategy ◽  
Passive Immunization ◽  
Therapeutic Strategies ◽  
Spongiform Encephalopathy ◽  
Therapeutic Choice ◽  
Heated Debate ◽  
Jakob Disease ◽  
Pathogenic Process ◽  
Prion Hypothesis

The term “prion disease” encompasses a group of neurodegenerative diseases affecting both humans and animals. Currently, there is no effective therapy and all forms of prion disease are invariably fatal. Because of (a) the outbreak of bovine spongiform encephalopathy in cattle and variant Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease in humans; (b) the heated debate about the prion hypothesis; and (c) the availability of a natural prion disease in rodents, the understanding of the pathogenic process in prion disease is much more advanced compared to that of other neurodegenerative disorders, which inspired many attempts to develop therapeutic strategies against these fatal diseases. In this review, we focus on immunotherapy against prion disease. We explain our rationale for immunotherapy as a plausible therapeutic choice, review previous trials using either active or passive immunization, and discuss potential strategies for overcoming the hurdles in developing a successful immunotherapy. We propose that immunotherapy is a plausible and practical therapeutic strategy and advocate more studies in this area to develop effective measures to control and treat these devastating disorders.

scholarly journals Kuru, the First Human Prion Disease

Viruses ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 232 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paweł Liberski ◽  
Agata Gajos ◽  
Beata Sikorska ◽  
Shirley Lindenbaum
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Confocal Microscopy ◽  
Prion Disease ◽  
Amyloid Plaques ◽  
Human Medicine ◽  
Spongiform Encephalopathy ◽  
Biomedical Sciences ◽  
Human Prion Disease ◽  
History Of ◽  
Jakob Disease

Kuru, the first human prion disease was transmitted to chimpanzees by D. Carleton Gajdusek (1923–2008). In this review, we summarize the history of this seminal discovery, its anthropological background, epidemiology, clinical picture, neuropathology, and molecular genetics. We provide descriptions of electron microscopy and confocal microscopy of kuru amyloid plaques retrieved from a paraffin-embedded block of an old kuru case, named Kupenota. The discovery of kuru opened new vistas of human medicine and was pivotal in the subsequent transmission of Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease, as well as the relevance that bovine spongiform encephalopathy had for transmission to humans. The transmission of kuru was one of the greatest contributions to biomedical sciences of the 20th century.

scholarly journals Prion disease: advances in diagnosis and treatment

2005 ◽  
Vol 4 (10) ◽  
pp. 273-278
Author(s):  
Steve Dealler
Keyword(s):  
Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy ◽  
Prion Disease ◽  
Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies ◽  
The Political ◽  
Spongiform Encephalopathy ◽  
Potential Treatment ◽  
Spongiform Encephalopathies ◽  
Current State ◽  
Jakob Disease ◽  
Pentosan Polysulphate

Steve Dealler is a medical microbiologist with Morecambe Bay Hospitals NHS Trust. His work on on the diagnosis, epidemiology and potential treatment of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies has brought him inter-national recognition. He has been at the forefront of work on the epidemiology of human food containing the vector for bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), and the development of prophylaxis against variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD). He is currently working on a potential treatment, pentosan polysulphate. Here he describes the current state of knowledge in the battle against this devastating disease and the political inertia that frustrated earlier attempts to prevent the epidemic.

scholarly journals Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease surveillance in Australia: update to 31 December 2019

2020 ◽  
Vol 44 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christiane Stehmann ◽  
Matteo Senesi ◽  
Shannon Sarros ◽  
Amelia McGlade ◽  
Marion Simpson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Prion Disease ◽  
Disease Surveillance ◽  
Prion Diseases ◽  
Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy ◽  
Annual Number ◽  
Spongiform Encephalopathy ◽  
Human Prion Disease ◽  
Prospective Surveillance ◽  
Jakob Disease ◽  
Neuropathological Examination

Nationwide surveillance of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and other human prion diseases is performed by the Australian National Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Registry (ANCJDR). National surveillance encompasses the period since 1 January 1970, with prospective surveillance occurring from 1 October 1993. Over this prospective surveillance period, considerable developments have occurred in pre-mortem diagnostics; in the delineation of new disease subtypes; and in a heightened awareness of prion diseases in healthcare settings. Surveillance practices of the ANCJDR have evolved and adapted accordingly. This report summarises the activities of the ANCJDR during 2019. Since the ANCJDR began offering diagnostic cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) 14-3-3 protein testing in Australia in September 1997, the annual number of referrals has steadily increased. In 2019, 513 domestic CSF specimens were referred for 14-3-3 protein testing and 85 persons with suspected human prion disease were formally added to the national register. As of 31 December 2019, just under half (42 cases) of the 85 suspect case notifications remain classified as ‘incomplete’; 16 cases were excluded through either detailed clinical follow-up (3 cases) or neuropathological examination (13 cases); 20 cases were classified as ‘definite’ and seven as ‘probable’ prion disease. For 2019, sixty-three percent of all suspected human prion disease related deaths in Australia underwent neuropathological examination. No cases of variant or iatrogenic CJD were identified. Two possibly causal novel prion protein gene (PRNP) sequence variations were identified. Keywords: Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, prion disease, transmissible spongiform encephalopathy, disease surveillance

scholarly journals Study protocol for enhanced CJD surveillance in the 65+ years population group in Scotland: an observational neuropathological screening study of banked brain tissue donations for evidence of prion disease

BMJ Open ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (10) ◽  
pp. e033744
Author(s):  
Alexander Howard Peden ◽  
Lovney Kanguru ◽  
Diane L Ritchie ◽  
Colin Smith ◽  
Anna M Molesworth
Keyword(s):  
Brain Tissue ◽  
Prion Disease ◽  
Age Of Onset ◽  
Population Group ◽  
Immunohistochemical Analysis ◽  
Spongiform Encephalopathy ◽  
Human Prion Disease ◽  
Tissue Samples ◽  
Jakob Disease ◽  
The Uk

IntroductionCreutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) is a human prion disease that occurs in sporadic, genetic and acquired forms. Variant CJD (vCJD) is an acquired form first identified in 1996 in the UK. To date, 178 cases of vCJD have been reported in the UK, most of which have been associated with dietary exposure to the bovine spongiform encephalopathy agent. Most vCJD cases have a young age of onset, with a median age at death of 28 years. In the UK, suspected cases of vCJD are reported to the UK National Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Research & Surveillance Unit (NCJDRSU). There is, however, a concern that the national surveillance system might be missing some cases of vCJD or other forms of human prion disease, particularly in the older population, perhaps because of atypical clinical presentation. This study aims to establish whether there is unrecognised prion disease in people aged 65 years and above in the Scottish population by screening banked brain tissue donated to the Edinburgh Brain Bank (EBB).MethodsNeuropathological screening of prospective and retrospective brain tissue samples is performed. This involves histopathological and immunohistochemical analysis and prion protein biochemical analysis. During the study, descriptive statistics are used to describe the study population, including the demographics and clinical, pathological and referral characteristics. Controlling for confounders, univariate and multivariate analyses will be used to compare select characteristics of newly identified suspect cases with previously confirmed cases referred to the NCJDRSU.Ethics and disseminationBrain tissue donations to EBB are made voluntarily by the relatives of patients, with consent for use in research. The EBB has ethical approval to provide tissue samples to research projects (REC reference 16/ES/0084). The findings of this study will be disseminated in meetings, conferences, workshops and as peer-reviewed publications.Trial registration numbers10/S1402/69 and 10/S1402/70

scholarly journals Rapidly Progressing Sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Presenting as a Stroke

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 261-265 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maxim Oliver ◽  
Lisa Dyke ◽  
Alex Rico ◽  
Mario Madruga ◽  
Jorge Parellada ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Prion Disease ◽  
Neurological Disorders ◽  
Hospice Care ◽  
Clinical Suspicion ◽  
Spongiform Encephalopathy ◽  
Medical Procedures ◽  
Human Prion Disease ◽  
Progressive Dementia ◽  
History Of ◽  
Jakob Disease

Sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (sCJD) is a rare, fatal human prion disease that is characterized by progressive dementia and neurologic degeneration. It can mimic multiple other neurological disorders, and a high index of clinical suspicion is necessary to make a diagnosis. A 74-year-old woman with a 3-month history of a stroke and progressive neurologic deterioration was found to have sCJD. She expired within a week of her diagnosis. Autopsy revealed spongiform encephalopathy consistent with prion disease, and genetic analysis revealed 129 polymorphism and no pathologic mutation, confirming the diagnosis of nonfamilial human prion disease. No pathologic evidence of a stroke was found. Awareness of the disease by clinicians is important not only at the time of initial presentation but also during the following months. Since there is no treatment, invasive medical procedures should be limited to only those that are required for either diagnosis or hospice care.

scholarly journals A field on fire: The biochemistry of mad cows

2005 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
pp. 6-8
Author(s):  
David R. Brown
Keyword(s):  
Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy ◽  
Prion Protein ◽  
Prion Disease ◽  
Prion Diseases ◽  
Human Diseases ◽  
Spongiform Encephalopathy ◽  
Related Disease ◽  
Jakob Disease ◽  
Sporadic Cjd

Prion diseases are neurodegenerative diseases1 that have been linked together because they may potentially have the same cause. These include the diseases scrapie of sheep and BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy) of cattle, and also several human diseases that include sporadic CJD (Creutzfeldt-Jakob) disease and a variety of inherited forms. The inherited forms of prion diseases are linked to mutations within the gene for the prion protein. Around 85% of all human cases of prion disease are sporadic CJD, which is a disease affecting people of around 60 years of age. The cause of this disease remains unknown. Unfortunately, the name of this disease causes some confusion, as it is similar to vCJD (variant CJD), a related disease of much younger people.

scholarly journals Variant CJD: Reflections a Quarter of a Century on

Pathogens ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 1413
Author(s):  
Diane L Ritchie ◽  
Alexander H Peden ◽  
Marcelo A Barria
Keyword(s):  
Prion Disease ◽  
Prion Diseases ◽  
Large Body ◽  
Dietary Exposure ◽  
Spongiform Encephalopathy ◽  
Biochemical Phenotype ◽  
Jakob Disease ◽  
Asymptomatic Individuals ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Impact

Twenty-five years has now passed since variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD) was first described in the United Kingdom (UK). Early epidemiological, neuropathological and biochemical investigations suggested that vCJD represented a new zoonotic form of human prion disease resulting from dietary exposure to the bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) agent. This hypothesis has since been confirmed though a large body of experimental evidence, predominantly using animal models of the disease. Today, the clinical, pathological and biochemical phenotype of vCJD is well characterized and demonstrates a unique and remarkably consistent pattern between individual cases when compared to other human prion diseases. While the numbers of vCJD cases remain reassuringly low, with 178 primary vCJD cases reported in the UK and a further 54 reported worldwide, concerns remain over the possible appearance of new vCJD cases in other genetic cohorts and the numbers of asymptomatic individuals in the population harboring vCJD infectivity. This review will provide a historical perspective on vCJD, examining the origins of this acquired prion disease and its association with BSE. We will investigate the epidemiology of the disease along with the unique clinicopathological and biochemical phenotype associated with vCJD cases. Additionally, this review will examine the impact vCJD has had on public health in the UK and the ongoing concerns raised by this rare group of disorders.

scholarly journals From Prion Diseases to Prion-Like Propagation Mechanisms of Neurodegenerative Diseases

2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Isabelle Acquatella-Tran Van Ba ◽  
Thibaut Imberdis ◽  
Véronique Perrier
Keyword(s):  
Neurodegenerative Disorders ◽  
Small Rnas ◽  
Prion Diseases ◽  
Cellular Prion Protein ◽  
Spongiform Encephalopathy ◽  
Wasting Disease ◽  
Original Works ◽  
Jakob Disease ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Prion Hypothesis

Prion diseases are fatal neurodegenerative sporadic, inherited, or acquired disorders. In humans, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease is the most studied prion disease. In animals, the most frequent prion diseases are scrapie in sheep and goat, bovine spongiform encephalopathy in cattle, and the emerging chronic wasting disease in wild and captive deer in North America. The hallmark of prion diseases is the deposition in the brain of PrPSc, an abnormalβ-sheet-rich form of the cellular prion protein (PrPC) (Prusiner 1982). According to the prion hypothesis, PrPSccan trigger the autocatalytic conversion of PrPCinto PrPSc, presumably in the presence of cofactors (lipids and small RNAs) that have been recently identified. In this review, we will come back to the original works that led to the discovery of prions and to the protein-only hypothesis proposed by Dr. Prusiner. We will then describe the recent reports on mammalian synthetic prions and recombinant prions that strongly support the protein-only hypothesis. The new concept of “deformed templating” regarding a new mechanism of PrPScformation and replication will be exposed. The review will end with a chapter on the prion-like propagation of other neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease and tauopathies.

Human prion diseases

2020 ◽  
pp. 6109-6119
Author(s):  
Simon Mead ◽  
R.G. Will
Keyword(s):  
Prion Disease ◽  
Prion Diseases ◽  
Mammalian Species ◽  
Normal Function ◽  
Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies ◽  
Spongiform Encephalopathy ◽  
Spongiform Encephalopathies ◽  
Distinct Disease ◽  
Jakob Disease ◽  
Disease Variant

Prion protein (for proteinacious infectious particle) is a membrane-associated glycoprotein present in all mammalian species. Its normal function is unknown, but in prion diseases (also known as transmissible spongiform encephalopathies) a misfolded polymer form of the protein, partially resistant to protease digestion, is deposited in the brain and associated—typically after long incubation periods—with neuronal dysfunction and death. Prion diseases have become the subject of intense scientific and public interest because they are caused by a biologically distinct disease mechanism and because of the implications for public health following the identification of a new human prion disease, variant Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease (vCJD), and the evidence that it is caused by the transmission to humans of a cattle prion disease, bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE).

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