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Investigations of a prion infectivity assay to evaluate methods of decontamination
Guillaume Fichet1, Emmanuel Comoy, Capucine Dehen
1STERIS Laboratory, CEA/DSV/IMETI/SEPIA, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France. guillaume_fichet@steris.com
Abstract:
Prions are unique infectious agents which have been shown to be transmitted iatrogenically through contaminated surfaces. Surface contamination is a concern on reusable medical devices and various industrial surfaces, but there is currently no standard, accepted model to evaluate surface prion decontamination. In this report, a set of both in vitro and in vivo methods were investigated based on the contamination of surface through artificial exposure to infected brain. An in vitro surface contamination protocol was developed with subsequent biochemical detection of the prion protein (PrPres). In parallel, the in vivo investigations included the contamination of different types of surface materials (stainless steel or plastic wires) with different prion strains (scrapie strain adapted to hamsters 263K or bovine spongiform encephalopathy strain adapted to mouse 6PB1). The in vivo models with various prion strains and brain homogenate dilutions reproducibly transmitted the disease and a relationship was established between the infectivity titre, the transmission rate and the incubation period. Moreover, the in vivo models were studied for their ability to demonstrate the efficacy of heat and chemical-based decontamination methods, with similar results. The in vivo scrapie method described is proposed as a standard to evaluate existing and developing prion decontamination technologies.
Insights
Developing a standard prion decontamination model is crucial for medical safety. This study proposes an in vivo method using scrapie-infected brain material to reliably test decontamination effectiveness on surfaces.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Infectious Diseases
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Prions are infectious agents transmitted via contaminated surfaces, posing risks for medical devices and industrial settings.
- Current methods lack a standardized model for evaluating surface prion decontamination efficacy.
- Iatrogenic prion transmission necessitates robust decontamination strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate both in vitro and in vivo models for assessing surface prion decontamination.
- To establish a reliable method for evaluating the effectiveness of decontamination technologies against prions.
- To propose a standardized in vivo model for prion surface decontamination.
Main Methods:
- Developed an in vitro surface contamination protocol with biochemical detection of prion protein (PrPres).
- Utilized in vivo models with stainless steel or plastic wires contaminated with different prion strains (263K scrapie, 6PB1 BSE).
- Investigated the efficacy of heat and chemical decontamination methods using the established in vivo models.
Main Results:
- In vivo models with various prion strains and dilutions reproducibly transmitted disease.
- Established a correlation between infectivity titre, transmission rate, and incubation period.
- Demonstrated consistent results for heat and chemical decontamination methods in vivo.
Conclusions:
- The developed in vivo scrapie model offers a reproducible method for prion surface contamination.
- This model can effectively evaluate the efficacy of existing and novel prion decontamination technologies.
- A standardized in vivo method is proposed to ensure safety and prevent prion transmission.
