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Updated: Mar 26, 2026
Assessing Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy Species Barriers with an In Vitro Prion Protein Conversion Assay
Published on: March 10, 2015
The Risk of Prion Infection through Bovine Grafting Materials
Yeoungsug Kim1, Angel Emmanuel Rodriguez2, Hessam Nowzari3
1Private practice, K-205, Banpodong 929, Sechogu, Seoul, Korea.
Background:
Bovine-derived grafting materials are frequently used in a variety of bone augmentation techniques. The aim of this paper is to assess the unique safety issue of bovine-derived grafting materials that is rarely addressed in dental literature: risk of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE).
Methods:
The validity of the current BSE diagnostic methods, surveillance and epidemiological trends in affected countries, and BSE infectivity in bovine bone before and after manufacturing processing were reviewed and analyzed.
Results:
Prion screening has significant limits. Humans are not safe from the infection of prion disease of other species. Prions can and do break the species barrier. There is evidence there may be tens of thousands of infectious carriers in the western countries alone. This raises concern about the potential for perpetuation of infection via medical procedures.
Conclusion:
The limited ability to screen prions within the animal genome, along with a long latency period to manifestation of the disease (1 to over 50 years) in infected patients, provides a framework for discussing posible long-term risks of the xenografts that are used so extensively in dentistry. We suggest abolishing the use of bovine bone.
