Title of project or programme

Preclinical diagnosis of prion disease

Principal Investigators of project/programme grant
TitleFornameSurnameInstitutionCountry
ProfessorMarthaUlvundNorwegian School of Veterinary ScienceNorway
Address of institution of lead PI
InstitutionNorwegian School of Veterinary Science
Street AddressPO Box 8146 Dep
CityOslo
PostcodeNO-0033
Country

Norway

Source of funding information

The Research Council of Norway

Total sum awarded (Euro)

880000

Start date of award

01-01-2007

Total duration of award in months

60

The project/programme is most relevant to
  • Prion disease
  • Neurodegenerative disease in general
Keywords

TSE, prion disorders, neurodegenerative disorders, biomarker, preclinical diagnose

Research abstract in English

Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) are a threat to food safety and to human and animal health. Diagnosis of these diseases and early detection of the infective agent is vital for future spread and prevention of disease. The identification of candidate molecules as biomarkers of preclinical disease is a major objective in this project. The molecular mechanisms responsible for these prion diseases share similarities with a wider group of neurodegenerative disorders including Alzheimers and Parkinsons diseases, and the central pathological event is a disturbance of protein folding of a normal cellular protein that is eventually accompanied by neuronal cell death and the death of the host. The quest for a pre-clinical blood screening test for TSE and similar diseases is a hot topic (Brown 2006). In this project, we will use blood (serum and white blood cells, WBC) and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from sheep experimentally infected with scrapie and killed at various stages of infection, to explore t he possibilities of diagnosing the prion disease at an early preclinical stage. We will be using modern technology (proteomics, multivariat analyses, immonoPCR, WB, other) in cooperation with national and foreign partners. Pilot experiments already performed are promising.

Lay summary

    Types: Investments > €500k
    Member States: Norway
    Diseases: Neurodegenerative disease in general, Prion disease
    Years: 2011
    Database Categories: N/A
    Database Tags: N/A

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