title: Prions tunnel between cells.
abstract: Prions are abnormal isoforms of host proteins that are the infectious agents in certain mammalian neurodegenerative diseases. How prions travel from their peripheral entry sites to the brain where they cause disease is poorly understood. A new study finds that tunnelling nanotubes are important for the intercellular transfer of prions during neuroinvasion.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedicine, University of Bergen, Jonas Lies vei 91, 5009 Bergen, Norway. hans-hermann.gerdes@biomed.uib.no
authors.forename: Hans-Hermann
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Gerdes
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D002450:Cell Communication; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D005110:Extracellular Space / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D009068:Movement; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D018620:PrPSc Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D011328:Prions / Q000378:metabolism*; D021381:Protein Transport
chemical_list: D018620:PrPSc Proteins; D011328:Prions