Cell-Based Model Advances Research for Prion Disease in Humans

Image Source: NC3Rs

Study in a Sentence: By using stem cells to make astrocytes (a key support cell in the brain), scientists were able to develop a new cell culturing system using astrocytes to support the production of prions, the causative agent of the fatal neurodegenerative disorder Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (similar to mad cow disease).

Healthy for Humans: This new research technique mimics the production of prions in patients. Thus, it allows the cell-to-cell transmission of this disease to be studied outside of the body. It can also serve as a drug screening tool to identify new potential therapeutic agents for the disease.

Redefining Research: This cell-based model allows the production of prions to be studied in a human-relevant model, bypassing the need to study its transmission in animal models. Thus, it is a significant contribution towards reducing and replacing the use of animals for studying human prion disease.