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Heinzer D, Avar M, Pfammatter M, Moos R, Schwarz P, Buhmann MT, Kuhn B, Mauerhofer S, Rosenberg U, Aguzzi A, Hornemann S. Advancing surgical instrument safety: A screen of oxidative and alkaline prion decontaminants using real-time quaking-induced conversion with prion-coated steel beads as surgical instrument mimetic. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0304603. [PMID: 38870196 PMCID: PMC11175539 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0304603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2023] [Accepted: 05/14/2024] [Indexed: 06/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Iatrogenic transmission of prions, the infectious agents of fatal Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, through inefficiently decontaminated medical instruments remains a critical issue. Harsh chemical treatments are effective, but not suited for routine reprocessing of reusable surgical instruments in medical cleaning and disinfection processes due to material incompatibilities. The identification of mild detergents with activity against prions is therefore of high interest but laborious due to the low throughput of traditional assays measuring prion infectivity. Here, we report the establishment of TESSA (sTainlESs steel-bead Seed Amplification assay), a modified real-time quaking induced cyclic amplification (RT-QuIC) assay that explores the propagation activity of prions with stainless steel beads. TESSA was applied for the screening of about 70 different commercially available and novel formulations and conditions for their prion inactivation efficacy. One hypochlorite-based formulation, two commercially available alkaline formulations and a manual alkaline pre-cleaner were found to be highly effective in inactivating prions under conditions simulating automated washer-disinfector cleaning processes. The efficacy of these formulations was confirmed in vivo in a murine prion infectivity bioassay, yielding a reduction of the prion titer for bead surface adsorbed prions below detectability. Our data suggest that TESSA represents an effective method for a rapid screening of prion-inactivating detergents, and that alkaline and oxidative formulations are promising in reducing the risk of potential iatrogenic prion transmission through insufficiently decontaminated instrument surfaces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Heinzer
- Institute of Neuropathology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Merve Avar
- Institute of Neuropathology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | | | - Rita Moos
- Institute of Neuropathology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Petra Schwarz
- Institute of Neuropathology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | | | | | | | | | - Adriano Aguzzi
- Institute of Neuropathology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Simone Hornemann
- Institute of Neuropathology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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2
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Burgener K, Lichtenberg SS, Walsh DP, Inzalaco HN, Lomax A, Pedersen JA. Prion Seeding Activity in Plant Tissues Detected by RT-QuIC. Pathogens 2024; 13:452. [PMID: 38921750 PMCID: PMC11206635 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens13060452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2024] [Revised: 05/09/2024] [Accepted: 05/24/2024] [Indexed: 06/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Prion diseases such as scrapie, bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), and chronic wasting disease (CWD) affect domesticated and wild herbivorous mammals. Animals afflicted with CWD, the transmissible spongiform encephalopathy of cervids (deer, elk, and moose), shed prions into the environment, where they may persist and remain infectious for years. These environmental prions may remain in soil, be transported in surface waters, or assimilated into plants. Environmental sampling is an emerging area of TSE research and can provide more information about prion fate and transport once shed by infected animals. In this study, we have developed the first published method for the extraction and detection of prions in plant tissue using the real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC) assay. Incubation with a zwitterionic surfactant followed by precipitation with sodium phosphotungstate concentrates the prions within samples and allows for sensitive detection of prion seeding activity. Using this protocol, we demonstrate that prions can be detected within plant tissues and on plant surfaces using the RT-QuIC assay.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kate Burgener
- Molecular and Environmental Toxicology Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA; (K.B.)
- Department of Environmental Health and Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Stuart Siegfried Lichtenberg
- Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA
- Minnesota Center for Prion Research and Outreach, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA
| | - Daniel P. Walsh
- U.S. Geological Survey, Montana Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, USA
| | - Heather N. Inzalaco
- Wisconsin Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Aaron Lomax
- Department of Soil Science, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA;
- Varizymes, Middleton, WI 53562, USA
| | - Joel A. Pedersen
- Molecular and Environmental Toxicology Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA; (K.B.)
- Department of Environmental Health and Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
- Department of Soil Science, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA;
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3
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Bartz JC, Benavente R, Caughey B, Christensen S, Herbst A, Hoover EA, Mathiason CK, McKenzie D, Morales R, Schwabenlander MD, Walsh DP. Chronic Wasting Disease: State of the Science. Pathogens 2024; 13:138. [PMID: 38392876 PMCID: PMC10892334 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens13020138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2023] [Revised: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a prion disease affecting cervid species, both free-ranging and captive populations. As the geographic range continues to expand and disease prevalence continues to increase, CWD will have an impact on cervid populations, local economies, and ecosystem health. Mitigation of this "wicked" disease will require input from many different stakeholders including hunters, landowners, research biologists, wildlife managers, and others, working together. The NC1209 (North American interdisciplinary chronic wasting disease research consortium) is composed of scientists from different disciplines involved with investigating and managing CWD. Leveraging this broad breadth of expertise, the Consortium has created a state-of-the-science review of five key aspects of CWD, including current diagnostic capabilities for detecting prions, requirements for validating these diagnostics, the role of environmental transmission in CWD dynamics, and potential zoonotic risks associated with CWD. The goal of this review is to increase stakeholders', managers', and decision-makers' understanding of this disease informed by current scientific knowledge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason C. Bartz
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Creighton University, Omaha, NE 68178, USA;
| | - Rebeca Benavente
- Department of Neurology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (R.B.); (R.M.)
| | - Byron Caughey
- Laboratory of Neurological Infections and Immunity, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT 59840, USA;
| | - Sonja Christensen
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA;
| | - Allen Herbst
- U.S. Geological Survey, National Wildlife Health Center, Madison, WI 53711, USA;
| | - Edward A. Hoover
- Prion Research Center, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA; (E.A.H.); (C.K.M.)
| | - Candace K. Mathiason
- Prion Research Center, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA; (E.A.H.); (C.K.M.)
| | - Debbie McKenzie
- Department of Biological Sciences, Centre for Prions and Protein Folding Diseases, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2M9, Canada;
| | - Rodrigo Morales
- Department of Neurology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (R.B.); (R.M.)
- Centro Integrativo de Biologia y Quimica Aplicada (CIBQA), Universidad Bernardo O’Higgins, Santiago 8370993, Chile
| | - Marc D. Schwabenlander
- Minnesota Center for Prion Research and Outreach, Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA;
| | - Daniel P. Walsh
- U.S. Geological Survey, Montana Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, USA
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4
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Sola D, Betancor M, Marco Lorente PA, Pérez Lázaro S, Barrio T, Sevilla E, Marín B, Moreno B, Monzón M, Acín C, Bolea R, Badiola JJ, Otero A. Diagnosis in Scrapie: Conventional Methods and New Biomarkers. Pathogens 2023; 12:1399. [PMID: 38133284 PMCID: PMC10746075 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens12121399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2023] [Revised: 11/24/2023] [Accepted: 11/24/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Scrapie, a naturally occurring prion disease affecting goats and sheep, comprises classical and atypical forms, with classical scrapie being the archetype of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies. This review explores the challenges of scrapie diagnosis and the utility of various biomarkers and their potential implications for human prion diseases. Understanding these biomarkers in the context of scrapie may enable earlier prion disease diagnosis in humans, which is crucial for effective intervention. Research on scrapie biomarkers bridges the gap between veterinary and human medicine, offering hope for the early detection and improved management of prion diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diego Sola
- Centro de Encefalopatías y Enfermedades Transmisibles Emergentes, Facultad de Veterinaria, IA2, Universidad de Zaragoza, 50013 Zaragoza, Spain; (D.S.)
| | - Marina Betancor
- Centro de Encefalopatías y Enfermedades Transmisibles Emergentes, Facultad de Veterinaria, IA2, Universidad de Zaragoza, 50013 Zaragoza, Spain; (D.S.)
| | - Paula A. Marco Lorente
- Centro de Encefalopatías y Enfermedades Transmisibles Emergentes, Facultad de Veterinaria, IA2, Universidad de Zaragoza, 50013 Zaragoza, Spain; (D.S.)
| | - Sonia Pérez Lázaro
- Centro de Encefalopatías y Enfermedades Transmisibles Emergentes, Facultad de Veterinaria, IA2, Universidad de Zaragoza, 50013 Zaragoza, Spain; (D.S.)
| | - Tomás Barrio
- Unité Mixte de Recherche de l’Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement1225 Interactions Hôtes-Agents Pathogènes, École Nationale Vétérinaire de Toulouse, 31076 Toulouse, France
| | - Eloisa Sevilla
- Centro de Encefalopatías y Enfermedades Transmisibles Emergentes, Facultad de Veterinaria, IA2, Universidad de Zaragoza, 50013 Zaragoza, Spain; (D.S.)
| | - Belén Marín
- Centro de Encefalopatías y Enfermedades Transmisibles Emergentes, Facultad de Veterinaria, IA2, Universidad de Zaragoza, 50013 Zaragoza, Spain; (D.S.)
| | - Bernardino Moreno
- Centro de Encefalopatías y Enfermedades Transmisibles Emergentes, Facultad de Veterinaria, IA2, Universidad de Zaragoza, 50013 Zaragoza, Spain; (D.S.)
| | - Marta Monzón
- Centro de Encefalopatías y Enfermedades Transmisibles Emergentes, Facultad de Veterinaria, IA2, Universidad de Zaragoza, 50013 Zaragoza, Spain; (D.S.)
| | - Cristina Acín
- Centro de Encefalopatías y Enfermedades Transmisibles Emergentes, Facultad de Veterinaria, IA2, Universidad de Zaragoza, 50013 Zaragoza, Spain; (D.S.)
| | - Rosa Bolea
- Centro de Encefalopatías y Enfermedades Transmisibles Emergentes, Facultad de Veterinaria, IA2, Universidad de Zaragoza, 50013 Zaragoza, Spain; (D.S.)
| | - Juan J. Badiola
- Centro de Encefalopatías y Enfermedades Transmisibles Emergentes, Facultad de Veterinaria, IA2, Universidad de Zaragoza, 50013 Zaragoza, Spain; (D.S.)
| | - Alicia Otero
- Centro de Encefalopatías y Enfermedades Transmisibles Emergentes, Facultad de Veterinaria, IA2, Universidad de Zaragoza, 50013 Zaragoza, Spain; (D.S.)
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5
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Benavente R, Reed JH, Lockwood M, Morales R. PMCA screening of retropharyngeal lymph nodes in white-tailed deer and comparisons with ELISA and IHC. Sci Rep 2023; 13:20171. [PMID: 37978312 PMCID: PMC10656533 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-47105-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2023] [Accepted: 11/09/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a prion disease affecting cervids. CWD diagnosis is conducted through enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and immunohistochemistry (IHC) in retropharyngeal lymph nodes. Unfortunately, these techniques have limited sensitivity against the biomarker (CWD-prions). Two in vitro prion amplification techniques, real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC) and protein misfolding cyclic amplification (PMCA), have shown promise in detecting CWD-prions in tissues and bodily fluids. Recent studies have demonstrated that RT-QuIC yields similar results compared to ELISA and IHC. Here, we analyzed 1003 retropharyngeal lymph nodes (RPLNs) from Texas white-tailed deer. PMCA detected CWD at a higher rate compared to ELISA/IHC, identified different prion strains, and revealed the presence of CWD-prions in places with no previous history. These findings suggest that PMCA exhibits greater sensitivity than current standard techniques and could be valuable for rapid and strain-specific CWD detection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebeca Benavente
- Department of Neurology, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - J Hunter Reed
- Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Kerrville, TX, USA
| | | | - Rodrigo Morales
- Department of Neurology, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA.
- Centro Integrativo de Biologia y Quimica Aplicada (CIBQA), Universidad Bernardo O'Higgins, Santiago, Chile.
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6
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Bravo-Risi F, Soto P, Benavente R, Nichols TA, Morales R. Dynamics of CWD prion detection in feces and blood from naturally infected white-tailed deer. Sci Rep 2023; 13:20170. [PMID: 37978207 PMCID: PMC10656452 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-46929-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2023] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a prion disease affecting cervids. Confirmatory testing of CWD is currently performed postmortem in obex and lymphoid tissues. Extensive evidence demonstrates the presence of infectious prions in feces of CWD-infected deer using in vitro prion-amplification techniques and bioassays. In experimental conditions, this has been achieved as soon as 6-month post-inoculation, suggesting this sample type is a candidate for antemortem diagnosis. In the present study, we optimized the detection of CWD-prions in fecal samples from naturally infected, pre-clinical white-tailed deer by comparing protocols aiming to concentrate CWD-prions with direct spiking of the sample into the PMCA reactions. Results of this screening were compared with similar analyses made in blood. Our data shows that CWD-prion detection in feces using PMCA is best in the absence of sample pre-treatments. We performed a screening of 169 fecal samples, detecting CWD-prions with diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of 54.81% and 98.46%, respectively. In addition, the PMCA seeding activity of 76 fecal samples was compared with that on blood of matched deer. Our findings, demonstrate that CWD-prions in feces and blood are increased at late pre-clinical stages, exhibiting similar detection in both sample types (> 90% sensitivity) when PrP96GG animals are tested. Our findings contribute to understand prion distribution across different biological samples and polymorphic variants in white-tailed deer. This information is also relevant for the current efforts to identify platforms to diagnose CWD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisca Bravo-Risi
- Department of Neurology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 6431 Fannin St., Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Centro Integrativo de Biologia y Quimica Aplicada (CIBQA), Universidad Bernardo O'Higgins, Santiago, Chile
| | - Paulina Soto
- Department of Neurology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 6431 Fannin St., Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Centro Integrativo de Biologia y Quimica Aplicada (CIBQA), Universidad Bernardo O'Higgins, Santiago, Chile
| | - Rebeca Benavente
- Department of Neurology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 6431 Fannin St., Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Tracy A Nichols
- Veterinary Services Cervid Health Program, United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Rodrigo Morales
- Department of Neurology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 6431 Fannin St., Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
- Centro Integrativo de Biologia y Quimica Aplicada (CIBQA), Universidad Bernardo O'Higgins, Santiago, Chile.
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7
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Mathiason CK. Large animal models for chronic wasting disease. Cell Tissue Res 2023; 392:21-31. [PMID: 35113219 PMCID: PMC8811588 DOI: 10.1007/s00441-022-03590-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2021] [Accepted: 01/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a fatal neurodegenerative prion disease of cervid species including deer, elk, moose and reindeer. The disease has shown both geographic and species expansion since its discovery in the late 1960's and is now recognized in captive and free-ranging cervid populations in North America, Asia and Europe. The facile transmission of CWD is unique among prion diseases and has resulted in growing concern for cervid populations and human public health. The development of native cervid host models with longitudinal monitoring has revealed new insights about CWD pathogenesis and transmission dynamics. More than 20 years of experimental studies conducted in these models, using biologically relevant routes of infection, have led to better understanding of many aspect of CWD infections. This review addresses some of these insights, including: (i) the temporal intra-host trafficking of CWD prions in tissues and bodily fluids, (ii) the presence of infectivity shed in bodily excretions that may help explain the facile transmission of CWD, (iii) mother-to-offspring CWD transmission, (iv) the influence of some Prnp polymorphisms on CWD susceptibility, and (vi) continued development of vaccine strategies to mitigate CWD.
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Affiliation(s)
- C K Mathiason
- College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States, 80523.
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8
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Burgener KR, Lichtenberg SS, Lomax A, Storm DJ, Walsh DP, Pedersen JA. Diagnostic testing of chronic wasting disease in white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) by RT-QuIC using multiple tissues. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0274531. [PMID: 36383520 PMCID: PMC9668146 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0274531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2022] [Accepted: 08/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a fatal prion disease affecting cervids (deer, elk, moose). Current methods to monitor individual disease state include highly invasive antemortem rectal biopsy or postmortem brain biopsy. Efficient, sensitive, and selective antemortem and postmortem testing of populations would increase knowledge of the dynamics of CWD epizootics as well as provide a means to track CWD progression into previously unaffected areas. Here, we analyzed the presence of CWD prions in skin samples from two easily accessed locations (ear and belly) from 30 deceased white-tailed deer (Odocoileus viginianus). The skin samples were enzymatically digested and analyzed by real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC). The diagnostic sensitivity of the ear and belly skin samples were both 95%, and the diagnostic specificity of the ear and belly skin were both 100%. Additionally, the location of the skin biopsy on the ear does not affect specificity or sensitivity. These results demonstrate the efficacy of CWD diagnosis with skin biopsies using RT-QuIC. This method could be useful for large scale antemortem population testing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kate R. Burgener
- Molecular and Environmental Toxicology Program, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United Sates of America
| | - Stuart S. Lichtenberg
- Department of Soil Science, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
- * E-mail: (SSL); , (JAP)
| | - Aaron Lomax
- Department of Soil Science, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Daniel J. Storm
- Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Eau Claire, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Daniel P. Walsh
- U.S. Geological Survey, National Wildlife Health Center, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Joel A. Pedersen
- Molecular and Environmental Toxicology Program, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United Sates of America
- Department of Soil Science, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
- * E-mail: (SSL); , (JAP)
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9
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Tewari D, Fasnacht M, Ritzman M, Livengood J, Bower J, Lehmkuhl A, Nichols T, Hamberg A, Brightbill K, Henderson D. Detection of chronic wasting disease in feces and recto-anal mucosal associated lymphoid tissues with RT-QuIC in a naturally infected farmed white-tailed deer herd. Front Vet Sci 2022; 9:959555. [PMID: 36176702 PMCID: PMC9513346 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2022.959555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2022] [Accepted: 08/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is an infectious prion disease affecting the cervids, including white-tailed deer (WTD) (Odocoileus virginianus). CWD is typically diagnosed postmortem in farmed cervids by immunohistochemistry (IHC). Amplification-based detection methods are newer generation tests currently being evaluated to improve the detection of prion disease. In addition to improving sensitivity, antemortem detection by amplification assays is a focus for improving disease control and management. In this study, we evaluate the use of real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC) to detect CWD in fecal and recto-anal mucosal-associated lymphoid tissue (RAMALT) samples from naturally infected farmed WTD herds at postmortem. We successfully detected the presence of CWD prions in WTD RAMALT with a specificity of 100% and a sensitivity of 85.7% (n = 71) and in feces with a specificity of 100% and a sensitivity of 60% (n = 69), utilizing RT-QuIC on samples collected postmortem. Seeding activity detected in RAMALT (15.3 ± 4.2%, n = 18) was much stronger than in feces (44.4 ± 4.2%, n = 15), as measured by cycle threshold (Ct) and rise in relative fluorescence in samples collected from the same WTD. Prion detection in the RAMALT (94.7%) and feces (70.5%) was highest when both obex and retropharyngeal lymph nodes (RPLNs) were positive for CWD via IHC. In the study group, we were also able to test prion protein gene variants and associated disease susceptibility. A majority of tested WTD were the CWD genotype (96 GG) and also harbored the highest percentage of positive animals (43.7%). The second highest population of WTD was the genotype 96 GS and had a CWD positivity rate of 37.5%. Each of these groups showed no difference in RAMALT or fecal detection of CWD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deepanker Tewari
- Pennsylvania Veterinary Laboratory, Harrisburg, PA, United States
- *Correspondence: Deepanker Tewari
| | - Melinda Fasnacht
- Pennsylvania Veterinary Laboratory, Harrisburg, PA, United States
| | - Margaret Ritzman
- Pennsylvania Veterinary Laboratory, Harrisburg, PA, United States
| | - Julia Livengood
- Pennsylvania Veterinary Laboratory, Harrisburg, PA, United States
| | - Jessica Bower
- Pennsylvania Veterinary Laboratory, Harrisburg, PA, United States
| | - Aaron Lehmkuhl
- United States Department of Agriculture, APHIS, Veterinary Services, National Veterinary Services Laboratories, Ames, IA, United States
| | - Tracy Nichols
- Veterinary Services Cervid Health Program, United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Fort Collins, CO, United States
| | - Alex Hamberg
- Bureau of Animal Health, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, Harrisburg, PA, United States
| | - Kevin Brightbill
- Bureau of Animal Health, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, Harrisburg, PA, United States
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Gene-Edited Cell Models to Study Chronic Wasting Disease. Viruses 2022; 14:v14030609. [PMID: 35337016 PMCID: PMC8950194 DOI: 10.3390/v14030609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2022] [Revised: 03/08/2022] [Accepted: 03/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Prion diseases are fatal infectious neurodegenerative disorders affecting both humans and animals. They are caused by the misfolded isoform of the cellular prion protein (PrPC), PrPSc, and currently no options exist to prevent or cure prion diseases. Chronic wasting disease (CWD) in deer, elk and other cervids is considered the most contagious prion disease, with extensive shedding of infectivity into the environment. Cell culture models provide a versatile platform for convenient quantification of prions, for studying the molecular and cellular biology of prions, and for performing high-throughput screening of potential therapeutic compounds. Unfortunately, only a very limited number of cell lines are available that facilitate robust and persistent propagation of CWD prions. Gene-editing using programmable nucleases (e.g., CRISPR-Cas9 (CC9)) has proven to be a valuable tool for high precision site-specific gene modification, including gene deletion, insertion, and replacement. CC9-based gene editing was used recently for replacing the PrP gene in mouse and cell culture models, as efficient prion propagation usually requires matching sequence homology between infecting prions and prion protein in the recipient host. As expected, such gene-editing proved to be useful for developing CWD models. Several transgenic mouse models were available that propagate CWD prions effectively, however, mostly fail to reproduce CWD pathogenesis as found in the cervid host, including CWD prion shedding. This is different for the few currently available knock-in mouse models that seem to do so. In this review, we discuss the available in vitro and in vivo models of CWD, and the impact of gene-editing strategies.
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11
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Holz CL, Darish JR, Straka K, Grosjean N, Bolin S, Kiupel M, Sreevatsan S. Evaluation of Real-Time Quaking-Induced Conversion, ELISA, and Immunohistochemistry for Chronic Wasting Disease Diagnosis. Front Vet Sci 2022; 8:824815. [PMID: 35118153 PMCID: PMC8803730 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2021.824815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2021] [Accepted: 12/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a transmissible prion disorder, primarily affecting free-ranging and captive cervids in North America (United States and Canada), South Korea, and Europe (Finland, Norway, and Sweden). Current diagnostic methods used in the United States for detection of CWD in hunter harvested deer involve demonstration of the causal misfolded prion protein (PrPCWD) in the obex or retropharyngeal lymph nodes (RLNs) using an antigen detection ELISA as a screening tool, followed by a confirmation by the gold standard method, immunohistochemistry (IHC). Real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC) assay is a newer approach that amplifies misfolded CWD prions in vitro and has facilitated CWD prion detection in a variety of tissues, body fluids, and excreta. The current study was undertaken to compare ELISA, IHC, and RT-QuIC on RLNs (n = 1,300 animals) from white-tailed deer (WTD) in Michigan. In addition, prescapular, prefemoral and popliteal lymph nodes collected from a small subset (n = 7) of animals were tested. Lastly, the location of the positive samples within Michigan was documented and the percentage of CWD positive RLNs was calculated by sex and age. ELISA and RT-QuIC detected PrPCWD in 184 and 178 out of 1,300 RLNs, respectively. Of the 184 ELISA positive samples, 176 were also IHC positive for CWD. There were seven discordant results when comparing IHC and ELISA. RT-QuIC revealed that six of the seven samples matched the IHC outcomes. One RLN was negative by IHC, but positive by ELISA and RT-QuIC. RT-QuIC, IHC, and ELISA also detected PrPCWD in prescapular, prefemoral and popliteal lymph nodes. CWD infection heterogeneities were observed in different age and sex groups, with young males having higher CWD prevalence. All, except one, CWD positive RLNs analyzed were from ten Counties geographically located in the West Michigan region of the Lower Peninsula. Taken together, we show evidence that the RT-QuIC assay is comparable to ELISA and IHC and could be helpful for routine CWD detection in surveillance programs. RT-QuIC also demonstrated that CWD prions are distributed across lymph nodes in a variety of anatomic locations. A multi-laboratory validation on blinded sample panels is underway and is likely to help to provide insight into the variability (lab-to-lab), analytical sensitivity, and specificity of gold standard diagnostics vs. RT-QuIC assay.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carine L Holz
- Department of Pathobiology and Diagnostic Investigation, College of Veterinary Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States
| | - Joseph R Darish
- Department of Pathobiology and Diagnostic Investigation, College of Veterinary Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States
| | - Kelly Straka
- Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Lansing, MI, United States
| | - Nicole Grosjean
- Department of Pathobiology and Diagnostic Investigation, College of Veterinary Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States
| | - Steven Bolin
- Department of Pathobiology and Diagnostic Investigation, College of Veterinary Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States
| | - Matti Kiupel
- Department of Pathobiology and Diagnostic Investigation, College of Veterinary Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States
| | - Srinand Sreevatsan
- Department of Pathobiology and Diagnostic Investigation, College of Veterinary Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States
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12
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Pritzkow S, Gorski D, Ramirez F, Soto C. Prion Dissemination through the Environment and Medical Practices: Facts and Risks for Human Health. Clin Microbiol Rev 2021; 34:e0005919. [PMID: 34319151 PMCID: PMC8404694 DOI: 10.1128/cmr.00059-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Prion diseases are a group of fatal, infectious neurodegenerative disorders affecting various species of mammals, including humans. The infectious agent in these diseases, termed prion, is composed exclusively of a misfolded protein that can spread and multiply in the absence of genetic materials. In this article, we provide an overview of the mechanisms of prion replication, interindividual transmission, and dissemination in communities. In particular, we review the potential role of the natural environment in prion transmission, including the mechanisms and pathways for prion entry and accumulation in the environment as well as its roles in prion mutation, adaptation, evolution, and transmission. We also discuss the transmission of prion diseases through medical practices, scientific research, and use of biological products. Detailed knowledge of these aspects is crucial to limit the spreading of existing prion diseases as well as to prevent the emergence of new diseases with possible catastrophic consequences for public health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Pritzkow
- Mitchell Center for Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Brain Disorders, Department of Neurology, University of Texas Medical School at Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Damian Gorski
- Mitchell Center for Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Brain Disorders, Department of Neurology, University of Texas Medical School at Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Frank Ramirez
- Mitchell Center for Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Brain Disorders, Department of Neurology, University of Texas Medical School at Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Claudio Soto
- Mitchell Center for Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Brain Disorders, Department of Neurology, University of Texas Medical School at Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
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13
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COMPARISON OF CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE DETECTION METHODS AND PROCEDURES: IMPLICATIONS FOR FREE-RANGING WHITE-TAILED DEER (ODOCOILEUS VIRGINIANUS) SURVEILLANCE AND MANAGEMENT. J Wildl Dis 2021; 58:50-62. [PMID: 34695201 DOI: 10.7589/jwd-d-21-00033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2021] [Accepted: 07/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Throughout North America, chronic wasting disease (CWD) has emerged as perhaps the greatest threat to wild cervid populations, including white-tailed deer (WTD, Odocoileus virginianus). White-tailed deer are the most sought-after big game species across North America with populations of various subspecies in nearly all Canadian provinces, the contiguous US, and Mexico. Documented CWD cases have dramatically increased across the WTD range since the mid-1990s, including in Minnesota. CWD surveillance in free-ranging WTD and other cervid populations mainly depends upon immunodetection methods such as immunohistochemistry and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) on medial retropharyngeal lymph nodes and obex. More recent technologies centered on prion protein amplification methods of detection have shown promise as more sensitive and rapid CWD diagnostic tools. Here, we used blinded samples to test the efficacy of real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC) in comparison to ELISA for screening tissues collected in 2019 from WTD in southeastern Minnesota, where CWD has been routinely detected since 2016. Our results support previous findings that RT-QuIC is a more sensitive tool for CWD detection than current antibody-based methods. Additionally, a CWD testing protocol that includes multiple lymphoid tissues (e.g., medial retropharyngeal lymph node, parotid lymph node, and palatine tonsil) per animal can effectively identify a greater number of CWD detections in a WTD population than a single sample type (e.g., medial retropharyngeal lymph nodes). These results show that the variability of CWD pathogenesis, sampling protocol, and testing platform must be considered for the effective detection and management of CWD throughout North America.
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14
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Li M, Schwabenlander MD, Rowden GR, Schefers JM, Jennelle CS, Carstensen M, Seelig D, Larsen PA. RT-QuIC detection of CWD prion seeding activity in white-tailed deer muscle tissues. Sci Rep 2021; 11:16759. [PMID: 34408204 PMCID: PMC8373970 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-96127-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2021] [Accepted: 07/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a prion disease circulating in wild and farmed cervid populations throughout North America (United States and Canada), Europe (Finland, Norway, Sweden), and South Korea. CWD is a long-term threat to all cervid populations and to cervid hunting heritage, with the potential to cause substantial economic losses across multiple sectors. In North America, hunting and farming industries focused on the processing and consumption of white-tailed deer (WTD) venison are particularly vulnerable to CWD prion contamination, as millions of WTD are consumed annually. Real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC) is a highly sensitive assay amplifying misfolded CWD prions in vitro and has facilitated CWD prion detection in a variety of tissues and excreta. To date, no study has comprehensively examined CWD prion content across bulk skeletal muscle tissues harvested from individual CWD infected WTD. Here, we use RT-QuIC to characterize prion-seeding activity in a variety of skeletal muscles from both wild and farmed CWD-positive WTD. We successfully detected CWD prions in muscles commonly used for consumption (e.g., backstrap, tenderloin, etc.) as well as within tongue and neck samples of WTD. Our results suggest that CWD prions are distributed across the skeletal muscles of infected WTD. We posit that RT-QuIC will be a useful tool for monitoring CWD prions in venison and that the method (with additional protocol optimization and high-throughput functionality) could be used to reduce and/or prevent CWD prions from entering animal and human food chains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manci Li
- Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, University of Minnesota, 1971 Commonwealth Ave, Saint Paul, MN, 55108, USA
- Minnesota Center for Prion Research and Outreach, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN, 55108, USA
| | - Marc D Schwabenlander
- Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, University of Minnesota, 1971 Commonwealth Ave, Saint Paul, MN, 55108, USA
- Minnesota Center for Prion Research and Outreach, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN, 55108, USA
| | - Gage R Rowden
- Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, University of Minnesota, 1971 Commonwealth Ave, Saint Paul, MN, 55108, USA
- Minnesota Center for Prion Research and Outreach, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN, 55108, USA
| | - Jeremy M Schefers
- Minnesota Center for Prion Research and Outreach, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN, 55108, USA
- Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, Veterinary Population Medicine Department, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN, 55108, USA
| | - Christopher S Jennelle
- Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, 5463 West Broadway, Forest Lake, MN, 55025, USA
| | - Michelle Carstensen
- Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, 5463 West Broadway, Forest Lake, MN, 55025, USA
| | - Davis Seelig
- Minnesota Center for Prion Research and Outreach, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN, 55108, USA
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN, 55108, USA
| | - Peter A Larsen
- Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, University of Minnesota, 1971 Commonwealth Ave, Saint Paul, MN, 55108, USA.
- Minnesota Center for Prion Research and Outreach, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN, 55108, USA.
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15
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Kincheloe JM, Horn-Delzer AR, Makau DN, Wells SJ. Chronic Wasting Disease Transmission Risk Assessment for Farmed Cervids in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Viruses 2021; 13:v13081586. [PMID: 34452450 PMCID: PMC8402894 DOI: 10.3390/v13081586] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2021] [Revised: 07/27/2021] [Accepted: 07/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
CWD (chronic wasting disease) has emerged as one of the most important diseases of cervids and continues to adversely affect farmed and wild cervid populations, despite control and preventive measures. This study aims to use the current scientific understanding of CWD transmission and knowledge of farmed cervid operations to conduct a qualitative risk assessment for CWD transmission to cervid farms and, applying this risk assessment, systematically describe the CWD transmission risks experienced by CWD-positive farmed cervid operations in Minnesota and Wisconsin. A systematic review of literature related to CWD transmission informed our criteria to stratify CWD transmission risks to cervid operations into high-risk low uncertainty, moderate-risk high uncertainty, and negligible-risk low uncertainty categories. Case data from 34 CWD-positive farmed cervid operations in Minnesota and Wisconsin from 2002 to January 2019 were categorized by transmission risks exposure and evaluated for trends. The majority of case farms recorded high transmission risks (56%), which were likely sources of CWD, but many (44%) had only moderate or negligible transmission risks, including most of the herds (62%) detected since 2012. The presence of CWD-positive cervid farms with only moderate or low CWD transmission risks necessitates further investigation of these risks to inform effective control measures.
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Affiliation(s)
- James M. Kincheloe
- Center for Science in the Public Interest, 1220 L St. N.W., Suite 300, Washington, DC 20005, USA
- Department of Veterinary Population Medicine, University of Minnesota, 225 Vet Med Ctr, 1365 Gortner Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA; (D.N.M.); (S.J.W.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Amy R. Horn-Delzer
- Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection, 2811 Agriculture Drive, Madison, WI 53708, USA;
| | - Dennis N. Makau
- Department of Veterinary Population Medicine, University of Minnesota, 225 Vet Med Ctr, 1365 Gortner Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA; (D.N.M.); (S.J.W.)
| | - Scott J. Wells
- Department of Veterinary Population Medicine, University of Minnesota, 225 Vet Med Ctr, 1365 Gortner Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA; (D.N.M.); (S.J.W.)
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16
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Evaluation of Winter Ticks (Dermacentor albipictus) Collected from North American Elk (Cervus canadensis) in an Area of Chronic Wasting Disease Endemicity for Evidence of PrP CWD Amplification Using Real-Time Quaking-Induced Conversion Assay. mSphere 2021; 6:e0051521. [PMID: 34346708 PMCID: PMC8386475 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00515-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a progressive and fatal spongiform encephalopathy of deer and elk species, caused by a misfolded variant of the normal prion protein. Horizontal transmission of the misfolded CWD prion between animals is thought to occur through shedding in saliva and other forms of excreta. The role of blood in CWD transmission is less clear, though infectivity has been demonstrated in various blood fractions. Blood-feeding insects, including ticks, are known vectors for a range of bacterial and viral infections in animals and humans, though to date, there has been no evidence for their involvement in prion disease transmission. In the present study, we evaluated winter ticks (Dermacentor albipictus) collected from 136 North American elk (Cervus canadensis) in an area where CWD is endemic for evidence of CWD prion amplification using the real-time quaking-induced conversion assay (RT-QuIC). Although 30 elk were found to be CWD positive (22%) postmortem, amplifiable prions were found in just a single tick collected from an elk in advanced stages of CWD infection, with some evidence for prions in ticks collected from elk in mid-stage infection. These findings suggest that further investigation of ticks as reservoirs for prion disease may be warranted. IMPORTANCE This study reports the first finding of detectable levels of prions linked to chronic wasting disease in a tick collected from a clinically infected elk. Using the real-time quaking-induced conversion assay (RT-QuIC), “suspect” samples were also identified; these suspect ticks were more likely to have been collected from CWD-positive elk, though suspect amplification was also observed in ticks collected from CWD-negative elk. Observed levels were at the lower end of our detection limits, though our findings suggest that additional research evaluating ticks collected from animals in late-stage disease may be warranted to further evaluate the role of ticks as potential vectors of chronic wasting disease.
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17
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Tewari D, Steward D, Fasnacht M, Livengood J. Detection by real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC), ELISA, and IHC of chronic wasting disease prion in lymph nodes from Pennsylvania white-tailed deer with specific PRNP genotypes. J Vet Diagn Invest 2021; 33:943-948. [PMID: 34078193 DOI: 10.1177/10406387211021411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a prion-mediated, transmissible disease of cervids, including deer (Odocoileus spp.), which is characterized by spongiform encephalopathy and death of the prion-infected animals. Official surveillance in the United States using immunohistochemistry (IHC) and ELISA entails the laborious collection of lymphoid and/or brainstem tissue after death. New, highly sensitive prion detection methods, such as real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC), have shown promise in detecting abnormal prions from both antemortem and postmortem specimens. We compared RT-QuIC with ELISA and IHC for CWD detection utilizing deer retropharyngeal lymph node (RLN) tissues in a diagnostic laboratory setting. The RLNs were collected postmortem from hunter-harvested animals. RT-QuIC showed 100% sensitivity and specificity for 50 deer RLN (35 positive by both IHC and ELISA, 15 negative) included in our study. All deer were also genotyped for PRNP polymorphism. Most deer were homozygous at codons 95, 96, 116, and 226 (QQ/GG/AA/QQ genotype, with frequency 0.86), which are the codons implicated in disease susceptibility. Heterozygosity was noticed in Pennsylvania deer, albeit at a very low frequency, for codons 95GS (0.06) and 96QH (0.08), but deer with these genotypes were still found to be CWD prion-infected.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deepanker Tewari
- Pennsylvania Veterinary Laboratory, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Animal Health and Diagnostics, Harrisburg, PA, USA
| | - David Steward
- Pennsylvania Veterinary Laboratory, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Animal Health and Diagnostics, Harrisburg, PA, USA
| | - Melinda Fasnacht
- Pennsylvania Veterinary Laboratory, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Animal Health and Diagnostics, Harrisburg, PA, USA
| | - Julia Livengood
- Pennsylvania Veterinary Laboratory, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Animal Health and Diagnostics, Harrisburg, PA, USA
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18
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Watson N, Brandel JP, Green A, Hermann P, Ladogana A, Lindsay T, Mackenzie J, Pocchiari M, Smith C, Zerr I, Pal S. The importance of ongoing international surveillance for Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Nat Rev Neurol 2021; 17:362-379. [PMID: 33972773 PMCID: PMC8109225 DOI: 10.1038/s41582-021-00488-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/18/2021] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) is a rapidly progressive, fatal and transmissible neurodegenerative disease associated with the accumulation of misfolded prion protein in the CNS. International CJD surveillance programmes have been active since the emergence, in the mid-1990s, of variant CJD (vCJD), a disease linked to bovine spongiform encephalopathy. Control measures have now successfully contained bovine spongiform encephalopathy and the incidence of vCJD has declined, leading to questions about the requirement for ongoing surveillance. However, several lines of evidence have raised concerns that further cases of vCJD could emerge as a result of prolonged incubation and/or secondary transmission. Emerging evidence from peripheral tissue distribution studies employing high-sensitivity assays suggests that all forms of human prion disease carry a theoretical risk of iatrogenic transmission. Finally, emerging diseases, such as chronic wasting disease and camel prion disease, pose further risks to public health. In this Review, we provide an up-to-date overview of the transmission of prion diseases in human populations and argue that CJD surveillance remains vital both from a public health perspective and to support essential research into disease pathophysiology, enhanced diagnostic tests and much-needed treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neil Watson
- grid.4305.20000 0004 1936 7988National CJD Research & Surveillance Unit, Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Jean-Philippe Brandel
- grid.411439.a0000 0001 2150 9058Cellule Nationale de référence des MCJ, Groupe Hospitalier Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | - Alison Green
- grid.4305.20000 0004 1936 7988National CJD Research & Surveillance Unit, Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Peter Hermann
- grid.411984.10000 0001 0482 5331National Reference Centre for TSE, Department of Neurology, University Medical Centre Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Anna Ladogana
- grid.416651.10000 0000 9120 6856Registry of Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease, Department of Neuroscience, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Terri Lindsay
- grid.4305.20000 0004 1936 7988National CJD Research & Surveillance Unit, Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Janet Mackenzie
- grid.4305.20000 0004 1936 7988National CJD Research & Surveillance Unit, Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Maurizio Pocchiari
- grid.416651.10000 0000 9120 6856Registry of Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease, Department of Neuroscience, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Colin Smith
- grid.4305.20000 0004 1936 7988National CJD Research & Surveillance Unit, Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Inga Zerr
- grid.411984.10000 0001 0482 5331National Reference Centre for TSE, Department of Neurology, University Medical Centre Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Suvankar Pal
- grid.4305.20000 0004 1936 7988National CJD Research & Surveillance Unit, Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
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19
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Mammadova N, West Greenlee MH, Moore SJ, Hwang S, Lehmkuhl AD, Nicholson EM, Greenlee JJ. Evaluation of Antemortem Diagnostic Techniques in Goats Naturally Infected With Scrapie. Front Vet Sci 2020; 7:517862. [PMID: 33240943 PMCID: PMC7677257 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2020.517862] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2019] [Accepted: 10/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Scrapie is a naturally occurring transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) that affects sheep and goats. Sheep and goats can be infected with scrapie as lambs or kids via contact with the placenta or placental fluids, or from ingestion of prions shed in the environment and/or bodily fluids (e.g., saliva, urine, and feces). Like other TSEs, scrapie is generally not diagnosed before extensive and irreversible brain damage has occurred. Therefore, a reliable method to screen animals may facilitate diagnosis. Additionally, while natural scrapie in sheep has been widely described, naturally acquired goat scrapie is less well-characterized. The purpose of this study was to better understand natural goat scrapie in regard to disease phenotype (i.e., incubation period, clinical signs, neuroanatomical deposition patterns of PrPSc, and molecular profile as detected by Western blot) and to evaluate the efficacy of antemortem tests to detect scrapie-positive animals in a herd of goats. Briefly, 28 scrapie-exposed goats were removed from a farm depopulated due to previous diagnoses of scrapie on the premises and observed daily for 30 months. Over the course of the observation period, antemortem biopsies of recto-anal mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (RAMALT) were taken and tested using immunohistochemistry and real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC), and retinal thickness was measured in vivo using optical coherence tomography (OCT). Following the observation period, immunohistochemistry and Western blot were performed to assess neuroanatomical deposition patterns of PrPSc and molecular profile. Our results demonstrate that antemortem rectal biopsy was 77% effective in identifying goats naturally infected with scrapie and that a positive antemortem rectal biopsy was associated with the presence of clinical signs of neurologic disease and a positive dam status. We report that changes in retinal thickness are not detectable over the course of the observation period in goats naturally infected with scrapie. Finally, our results indicate that the accumulation of PrPSc in central nervous system (CNS) and non-CNS tissues is consistent with previous reports of scrapie in sheep and goats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Najiba Mammadova
- Virus and Prion Research Unit, National Animal Disease Center, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Ames, IA, United States
| | - M Heather West Greenlee
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine, Ames, IA, United States
| | - S Jo Moore
- Virus and Prion Research Unit, National Animal Disease Center, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Ames, IA, United States
| | - Soyoun Hwang
- Virus and Prion Research Unit, National Animal Disease Center, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Ames, IA, United States
| | - Aaron D Lehmkuhl
- National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL) Diagnostic Bacteriology and Pathology Laboratory, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Ames, IA, United States
| | - Eric M Nicholson
- Virus and Prion Research Unit, National Animal Disease Center, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Ames, IA, United States
| | - Justin J Greenlee
- Virus and Prion Research Unit, National Animal Disease Center, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Ames, IA, United States
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20
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Arshad H, Bourkas MEC, Watts JC. The utility of bank voles for studying prion disease. PROGRESS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE 2020; 175:179-211. [PMID: 32958232 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pmbts.2020.08.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
The transmission of prions between species is typically an inefficient process due to the species barrier, which represents incompatibility between prion seed and substrate molecules. Bank voles (Myodes glareolus) are an exception to this rule, as they are susceptible to a diverse range of prion strains from many different animal species. In particular, bank voles can be efficiently infected with most types of human prions and have played a critical role in validating variably protease-sensitive prionopathy (VPSPr) and certain forms of Gerstmann-Sträussler-Scheinker (GSS) disease as bona fide prion disorders rather than non-transmissible proteinopathies. The bank vole prion protein (BVPrP) confers a "universal prion acceptor" phenotype when expressed in mice and when used as a substrate for in vitro prion amplification assays, indicating that the unique prion transmission properties of bank voles are mediated by BVPrP. Over-expression of BVPrP in mice can also promote the spontaneous development of prion disease, indicating that BVPrP is intrinsically prone to both spontaneous and template-directed misfolding. Here, we discuss the utility of bank voles and BVPrP for prion research and how they have provided new tools for establishing rapid animal bioassays, modeling spontaneous prion disease, standardizing prion diagnostics, and understanding the molecular basis of the species barrier.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hamza Arshad
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Matthew E C Bourkas
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Joel C Watts
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
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21
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Detection of Pathognomonic Biomarker PrP Sc and the Contribution of Cell Free-Amplification Techniques to the Diagnosis of Prion Diseases. Biomolecules 2020; 10:biom10030469. [PMID: 32204429 PMCID: PMC7175149 DOI: 10.3390/biom10030469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2020] [Revised: 03/16/2020] [Accepted: 03/17/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies or prion diseases are rapidly progressive neurodegenerative diseases, the clinical manifestation of which can resemble other promptly evolving neurological maladies. Therefore, the unequivocal ante-mortem diagnosis is highly challenging and was only possible by histopathological and immunohistochemical analysis of the brain at necropsy. Although surrogate biomarkers of neurological damage have become invaluable to complement clinical data and provide more accurate diagnostics at early stages, other neurodegenerative diseases show similar alterations hindering the differential diagnosis. To solve that, the detection of the pathognomonic biomarker of disease, PrPSc, the aberrantly folded isoform of the prion protein, could be used. However, the amounts in easily accessible tissues or body fluids at pre-clinical or early clinical stages are extremely low for the standard detection methods. The solution comes from the recent development of in vitro prion propagation techniques, such as Protein Misfolding Cyclic Amplification (PMCA) and Real Time-Quaking Induced Conversion (RT-QuIC), which have been already applied to detect minute amounts of PrPSc in different matrixes and make early diagnosis of prion diseases feasible in a near future. Herein, the most relevant tissues and body fluids in which PrPSc has been detected in animals and humans are being reviewed, especially those in which cell-free prion propagation systems have been used with diagnostic purposes.
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Tennant JM, Li M, Henderson DM, Tyer ML, Denkers ND, Haley NJ, Mathiason CK, Hoover EA. Shedding and stability of CWD prion seeding activity in cervid feces. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0227094. [PMID: 32126066 PMCID: PMC7053746 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0227094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2019] [Accepted: 12/12/2019] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
CWD is an emergent prion disease that now affects cervid species on three continents. CWD is efficiently spread in wild and captive populations, likely through both direct animal contact and environmental contamination. Here, by longitudinally assaying in feces of CWD-exposed white-tailed deer by RT-QuIC, we demonstrate fecal shedding of prion seeding activity months before onset of clinical symptoms and continuing throughout the disease course. We also examine the impact of simulated environmental conditions such as repeated freeze-thaw cycles and desiccation on fecal prion seeding activity. We found that while multiple (n = 7) freeze-thaw cycles substantially decreased fecal seeding activity, desiccation had little to no effect on seeding activity. Finally, we examined whether RT-QuIC testing of landscape fecal deposits could distinguish two premises with substantial known CWD prevalence from one in which no CWD-infected animals had been detected. In the above pilot study, this distinction was possible. We conclude that fecal shedding of CWD prions occurs over much of the disease course, that environmental factors influence prion seeding activity, and that it is feasible to detect fecal prion contamination using RT-QuIC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanne M. Tennant
- Prion Research Center, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States of America
| | - Manci Li
- Prion Research Center, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States of America
| | - Davin M. Henderson
- Prion Research Center, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States of America
| | - Margaret L. Tyer
- Prion Research Center, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States of America
| | - Nathaniel D. Denkers
- Prion Research Center, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States of America
| | - Nicholas J. Haley
- Midwestern University, College of Graduate Studies, Glendale, AZ, United States of America
| | - Candace K. Mathiason
- Prion Research Center, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States of America
| | - Edward A. Hoover
- Prion Research Center, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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McNulty EE, Nalls AV, Xun R, Denkers ND, Hoover EA, Mathiason CK. In vitro detection of haematogenous prions in white-tailed deer orally dosed with low concentrations of chronic wasting disease. J Gen Virol 2020; 101:347-361. [PMID: 31846418 PMCID: PMC7416609 DOI: 10.1099/jgv.0.001367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2019] [Accepted: 11/19/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Infectivity associated with prion disease has been demonstrated in blood throughout the course of disease, yet the ability to detect blood-borne prions by in vitro methods remains challenging. We capitalized on longitudinal pathogenesis studies of chronic wasting disease (CWD) conducted in the native host to examine haematogenous prion load by real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC) and protein misfolding cyclic amplification. Our study demonstrated in vitro detection of amyloid seeding activity (prions) in buffy-coat cells harvested from deer orally dosed with low concentrations of CWD positive (+) brain (1 gr and 300 ng) or saliva (300 ng RT-QuIC equivalent). These findings make possible the longitudinal assessment of prion disease and deeper investigation of the role haematogenous prions play in prion pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin E. McNulty
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Amy V. Nalls
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Randy Xun
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Nathaniel D. Denkers
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Edward A. Hoover
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Candace K. Mathiason
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
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Bistaffa E, Vuong TT, Cazzaniga FA, Tran L, Salzano G, Legname G, Giaccone G, Benestad SL, Moda F. Use of different RT-QuIC substrates for detecting CWD prions in the brain of Norwegian cervids. Sci Rep 2019; 9:18595. [PMID: 31819115 PMCID: PMC6901582 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-55078-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2019] [Accepted: 11/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a highly contagious prion disease affecting captive and free-ranging cervid populations. CWD has been detected in United States, Canada, South Korea and, most recently, in Europe (Norway, Finland and Sweden). Animals with CWD release infectious prions in the environment through saliva, urine and feces sustaining disease spreading between cervids but also potentially to other non-cervids ruminants (e.g. sheep, goats and cattle). In the light of these considerations and due to CWD unknown zoonotic potential, it is of utmost importance to follow specific surveillance programs useful to minimize disease spreading and transmission. The European community has already in place specific surveillance measures, but the traditional diagnostic tests performed on nervous or lymphoid tissues lack sensitivity. We have optimized a Real-Time Quaking-Induced Conversion (RT-QuIC) assay for detecting CWD prions with high sensitivity and specificity to try to overcome this problem. In this work, we show that bank vole prion protein (PrP) is an excellent substrate for RT-QuIC reactions, enabling the detection of trace-amounts of CWD prions, regardless of prion strain and cervid species. Beside supporting the traditional diagnostic tests, this technology could be exploited for detecting prions in peripheral tissues from live animals, possibly even at preclinical stages of the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edoardo Bistaffa
- Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Division of Neurology 5 and Neuropathology, Milano, Italy
| | | | - Federico Angelo Cazzaniga
- Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Division of Neurology 5 and Neuropathology, Milano, Italy
| | - Linh Tran
- Norwegian Veterinary Institute, Oslo, Norway
| | - Giulia Salzano
- Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati (SISSA), Laboratory of Prion Biology, Department of Neuroscience, Trieste, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Legname
- Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati (SISSA), Laboratory of Prion Biology, Department of Neuroscience, Trieste, Italy
| | - Giorgio Giaccone
- Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Division of Neurology 5 and Neuropathology, Milano, Italy
| | | | - Fabio Moda
- Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Division of Neurology 5 and Neuropathology, Milano, Italy.
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