Study to establish the bioassay system for peripheral route infection of various prions

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18H02738
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 52020:Neurology-related
• Research Institution: Tohoku University
• Principal Investigator: Kitamoto Tetsuyuki 東北大学, 医学系研究科, 教授 (20192560)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: プリオン / 末梢ルート / FDC / 腹腔内投与

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In Japanese cases with dura-grafted CJD, we identified the ratio of M1 prion and V2 prion similarly as the ratio of European sporadic CJD. However, the ratio of European cases with Growth hormone-associated CJD was quite different from the ratio of European sporadic CJD. Because the infection route is different between both infections, we compared the infection between intracranial and intraperitoneal administration. In intracranial administration, 100% of knock-in mice were infected with M1 or V2 prion. However, in intraperitoneal administration, M1 prion-infected mice were fewer than V2-infected mice. In particular, the knock-in mice with 129Met/Met were hardly infected with M1 prions. These results well explain the different ratio between dura grafted CJD and growth hormone associated CJD.

Free Research Field

神経内科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

プリオン感染は、医療関係者が恐怖に駆られる致死性の感染症である。現に、針刺し事故などで相談をうけることが多い。本研究成果ではわが国でも最も多いM1プリオンは、脳を用いた感染実験でもわが国で最も多い遺伝子型である129Met/Metのモデル動物を用いた抹消ルートからは感染しないことを明らかとした。これは、頭蓋内投与がほぼ１００％感染する結果との際立った違いであり、針刺し事故などの説明に役立つ根拠となる。