Miele
Fakultäten » Medizinische Fakultät » Neuropathologie, Institut für » Prof. Dr. Adriano Aguzzi » Miele
Completed research project
| Title / Titel | Identification of genes differentially expressed in lymphoid organs during the preclinical phase of prion pathogenesis | ||||
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| Abstract (PDF, 14 KB) | |||||
| Summary / Zusammenfassung | Whilst the pathological effects of prion diseases on the central nervous system are morphologically well defined, such as accumulation of disease-specific protease-resistant prion protein (PrPSc), the underlying molecular events are poorly characterised and there is little information available regarding the molecular effects of these diseases in tissues other than the CNS, particularly during the early phases of disease. The lymphoreticular system has been shown to play a key role in replication of the prion causative agent in rodent models prior to neuroinvasion. Following intracerebral, intraperitoneal, and also peripheral routes of inoculation, replication of the Prion agent occurs initially in lymphoid tissues to high titres prior to neuroinvasion detection in the CNS. The lymphoreticular system therefore plays a central role in Prion disease. Understanding of the molecular events underlying prion pathogenesis in secondary lymphoid organs will (a) significantly advance our understanding of the molecular events associated with Prion pathogenesis in lymphoid tissue, (b) identify potential candidate pathways for future thereapeutic intervention strategies and (c) identify potential surrogate markers that may be utilised for pre-mortem diagnosis of Prion disease. We are therefore currently performing microarray analysis of RNA isolated from lymphoid tissue during the preclinical phase of prion pathogenesis to identify genes differetnially expressed as a result of prion infection. |
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| Keywords / Suchbegriffe | Microarray, EDRF, lymphoid, gene expression, Prion | ||||
| Project leadership and contacts / Projektleitung und Kontakte |
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| Other links to external web pages | http://www.uzh.ch/pathol/neuropathologie/d/index.html | ||||
| Funding source(s) / Unterstützt durch |
Others UK Biotechnology & Biological Sciences Research Council (Gino Miele) |
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| Duration of Project / Projektdauer | Nov 2002 to Oct 2005 |