Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Prion diseases and the immune system.

P Aucouturier1, R I Carp, C Carnaud

  • 1Department of Neurology, NYU Medical Center, New York, New York, USA.

Clinical Immunology (Orlando, Fla.)
|July 20, 2000
PubMed
Summary

The immune system surprisingly aids prion diseases, acting as a Trojan horse. Understanding this immune role in prion infections is key to developing new therapies.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

3T MRI Whole-Brain Microscopy Discrimination of Subcortical Anatomy, Part 2: Basal Forebrain.

AJNR. American journal of neuroradiology·2019
Same author

3T MRI Whole-Brain Microscopy Discrimination of Subcortical Anatomy, Part 1: Brain Stem.

AJNR. American journal of neuroradiology·2019
Same author

Impact of haemophilia with inhibitors on caregiver burden in the United States.

Haemophilia : the official journal of the World Federation of Hemophilia·2014
Same author

Understanding the experience of caring for children with haemophilia: cross-sectional study of caregivers in the United States.

Haemophilia : the official journal of the World Federation of Hemophilia·2014
Same author

Disease-specific adaptive immune biomarkers in Alzheimer's disease and related pathologies.

Revue neurologique·2013
Same author

Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE)-associated polymorphisms of the prion protein (PRNP) gene in Korean native cattle.

Animal genetics·2012

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Immunology
  • Infectious Diseases

Background:

  • Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) are caused by infectious agents known as prions.
  • Prions are composed of a modified host glycoprotein, a single type of macromolecule.
  • The immune system's role in prion infections is paradoxical, potentially facilitating disease progression.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the surprising role of the immune system in prion infections.
  • To understand how immune cells support prion replication and neuroinvasion.
  • To explore potential immunomanipulation strategies for preventing prion spread to the central nervous system.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature on prion diseases and immunology.
  • Analysis of prion agent composition and host interactions.
  • Examination of the implications of immune tolerance in prion pathogenesis.

Main Results:

  • The immune system acts as a 'Trojan horse' in prion infections, rather than a defense mechanism.
  • Natural immune tolerance to prions, due to molecular mimicry (PrPSc vs. PrPC), is a significant factor.
  • Lymphoid organs are crucial in the preclinical stages of prion diseases.
  • Certain immunodeficient animals exhibit resistance to peripheral prion inoculation.
  • Immune cells in normal subjects facilitate prion replication and/or neuroinvasion.

Conclusions:

  • The immune system's involvement in prion diseases is complex and counterintuitive.
  • Understanding the immune system's contribution is vital for developing effective therapeutic strategies.
  • Targeting immune responses could offer novel approaches to prevent prion neuroinvasion and central nervous system spread.

Related Experiment Videos