Ceramic absorbed with calcium bicarbonate mesoscopic crystals partially inactivate scrapie prions

Prion diseases are fatal neurodegenerative disorders affecting both humans and animals. The causative agent, prion, is extremely resistant to common disinfection procedures. Thus, effective prion inactivation strategies using relatively safe and less corrosive disinfectants are required. A solution containing CAC-717, mesoscopic crystals of calcium bicarbonate, exerts both antimicrobial and virucidal activities without apparent harmful effects. This study demonstrated that combined treatment with CAC-717 absorbed on ceramic (CAC-717 ceramic) and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) substantially reduced the protein misfolding cyclic amplification (PMCA) seeding activity of Chandler strain scrapie mouse-brain homogenates (ScBH). Additionally, bioassays demonstrated that ScBH-inoculated mice treated with CAC-717 ceramic in combination with sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) did not develop disease. Furthermore, this combination effectively inactivated PMCA seeding activity on ScBH-coated stainless-steel wires below the detection limit. Overall, the findings suggest that combined treatment with CAC-717 ceramic and SDS represents a promising and less damaging approach for prion inactivation.