Distribution of seeding activity in patients with sporadic CJD using RT-QUIC

• Project/Area Number: 16K18384
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Nerve anatomy/Neuropathology
• Research Institution: University of Miyazaki (2017); Nagasaki University (2016)
• Principal Investigator: Takatsuki Hanae 宮崎大学, 医学部, 助教 (80773978)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2017)
• Budget Amount: ¥3,770,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,900,000、Indirect Cost: ¥870,000); Fiscal Year 2017: ¥1,950,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,500,000、Indirect Cost: ¥450,000); Fiscal Year 2016: ¥1,820,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,400,000、Indirect Cost: ¥420,000)
• Keywords: プリオン / クロイツフェルト・ヤコブ病 / 試験管内異常型プリオン増幅法 / シード活性 / 非神経系組織 / クロイツフェルトヤコブ病 / 感染症 / 脳神経疾患

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Human prion diseases are neurodegenerative disorders caused by abnormally folded prion proteins in central nervous system, which can be detected using the quaking induced conversion assay. Because the assay is extremely sensitive comparing with bioassay, the distribution of the prion in patients diagnosed as sporadic form of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, at autopsy was examined. Although it has been regard as infectivity can be restricted within central nervous system in case of sporadic form, we found that the prion activities reach at up to 105-7/g of 50% seeding dose in non-neuronal tissues, suggesting that infectious prions exist in various organs.

Research Products

• [Journal Article] Prion-Seeding Activity Is widely Distributed in Tissues of Sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Patients. (2016)
  • Author(s): Takatsuki H, Fuse T, Nakagaki T, Mori T, Mihara B, Takao M, Iwasaki Y, Yoshida M, Murayama S, Atarashi R, Nishida N, Satoh K.
  • Journal Title: EBioMedicine. Volume: 12 Pages: 150-155
  • DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2016.08.033
  • NAID: 120006987618
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access