title: From microbes to prions the final proof of the prion hypothesis.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Division of Neuropathology, Department of Pathology, National Prion Disease Pathology Surveillance Center, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA.
authors.forename: Wen-Quan
authors.initials: WQ
authors.lastname: Zou
authors.forename: Pierluigi
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gambetti
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D018620:PrPSc Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*; D017096:Prion Diseases / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D018620:PrPSc Proteins