Kinetics of Abnormal Prion Protein in Blood of Transgenic Mice Experimentally Infected by Multiple Routes with the Agent of Variant Creutzfeldt–Jakob Disease

Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) or prion diseases are characterized by the accumulation in affected tissues of abnormal protein PrPTSE. We previously demonstrated PrPTSE blood macaques experimentally infected with variant Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease (vCJD), a human TSE, months to years prior clinical onset. That work supported prospect using as biomarker detect vCJD and possibly other TSEs before onset overt illness. However, our results also raised questions about origin detected early after inoculation effects dose route on timing appearance To investigate these questions, we inoculated vCJD-susceptible transgenic mice non-infectable protein-knockout under conditions resembling those used macaques, additional controls. assayed mouse misfolding cyclic amplification (PMCA) method. from inoculum cleared all 2 post-inoculation (mpi). Mouse generated de novo appeared mpi. These were consistent regardless route. that commercial ELISA-like test quantified PMCA products provided useful alternative Western blots.