Prion transmissibility

[Naveed Panjwani]

umfunk15 at cc.umanitoba.ca (Duane James Funk) wrote:


> 
> 3. Finally, and most importantly, this business about blood 
> transmission.  From the papers I have read I think to myself 'Not Bloody 
> Likely' (Pun intended).  Aren't prions transmitted primarily in neural 
> tissue.
> 

If you think about it, its logical that the infectious agent is blood
borne at some stage in non-human Prion disease. Sheep do not go in
for pituatary grafts, nor do they consume neurologically derived 
foodstuffs. I hardly think there is a case for brain-brain contact, 
unless you subscribe to a matter-energy transcendental mode of trans-
mission.

So you've got to have vascular entry at some point.

Naveed.