From microbes to prions the final proof of the prion hypothesis.
Much like the "microbe hypothesis" put forth over 150 years ago, the "prion hypothesis" can be definitely proven only if a prion disease is engendered in a natural host from an infectious prion produced in vitro. In this issue of Cell, come very close to accomplishing this goal by producing a prion disease in a natural host from a prion entirely generated in vitro using a PCR-like amplification system.
Zou
Wen-Quan
WQ
Division of Neuropathology, Department of Pathology, National Prion Disease Pathology Surveillance Center, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA.
Gambetti
Pierluigi
P
D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D018620:PrPSc Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*; D017096:Prion Diseases / Q000378:metabolism*
D018620:PrPSc Proteins