New findings on the body's immunological surveillance system

New findings about the prion protein and its interaction with the immune system have been made by veterinary scientist Caroline Piercey Åkesson.

Her study has revealed that the prion protein makes use of the normal physiological uptake channel for macromolecules in the intestines and that this may have a significant effect on the body's immunological surveillance system. This means that immuno-tolerance could be stimulated, thus impeding a normal immuno reaction against the prion protein absorbed via the intestines.

Many questions relating to Scapie, the neurodegenerative disease, remain unanswered. The disease can function as a model for other diseases caused by an accumulation of proteins resulting in tissue malformations (proteinpathies), such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. This study has uncovered significant findings on the uptake of the prion protein (PrPSc) associated with the development of the disease, which will aid future studies in revealing how immunological cells are transported and how the prion protein is processed in the body.