The key must fit: macrophages transport prion infection to the central nervous system and may determine the sites of infection within it.
It is suggested that the agent for transmissible spongiform encephalopathies is transferred from an original peripheral site of infection into the brain by recruited and selected circulating macrophages/monocytes. It is because of this selection that strains of disease appear to be different when infecting separate species, but retain characteristics when infecting a single species.
Dealler
S
S
Burnley General Hospital, UK.
D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000503:physiopathology; D001927:Brain Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000502:physiology; D008264:Macrophages / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D008819:Mice, Nude; D017628:Microglia / Q000502:physiology*; D008954:Models, Biological; D017096:Prion Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011328:Prions / Q000378:metabolism*; D012608:Scrapie / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000635:transmission
D011328:Prions