From microbes to prions the final proof of the prion hypothesis

Wen-Quan Zou; Pierluigi Gambetti

doi:10.1016/j.cell.2005.04.002

From microbes to prions the final proof of the prion hypothesis

Cell. 2005 Apr 22;121(2):155-7. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2005.04.002.

Authors

Wen-Quan Zou¹, Pierluigi Gambetti

Affiliation

¹ Division of Neuropathology, Department of Pathology, National Prion Disease Pathology Surveillance Center, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA.

PMID: 15851020
DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2005.04.002

Abstract

Much like the "microbe hypothesis" put forth over 150 years ago, the "prion hypothesis" can be definitely proven only if a prion disease is engendered in a natural host from an infectious prion produced in vitro. In this issue of Cell, come very close to accomplishing this goal by producing a prion disease in a natural host from a prion entirely generated in vitro using a PCR-like amplification system.

Publication types

Comment
Review

MeSH terms

Animals
Humans
PrPSc Proteins / chemistry*
PrPSc Proteins / metabolism*
Prion Diseases / metabolism*

Substances

PrPSc Proteins