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Conversion of the cellular alpha-helical prion protein (PrP(C)) into a disease-associated isoform (PrP(Sc)) is central to the pathogenesis of prion diseases. Molecules targeting either normal or disease-associated isoforms may be of therapeutic interest, and the antibodies binding PrP(C) have been shown to inhibit prion accumulation in vitro. Here we investigate whether antibodies that additionally target disease-associated isoforms such as PrP(Sc) inhibit prion replication in ovine PrP-inducible scrapie-infected Rov cells. We conclude from these experiments that antibodies exclusively binding PrP(C) were relatively inefficient inhibitors of ScRov cell PrP(Sc) accumulation compared with antibodies that additionally targeted disease-associated PrP isoforms. Although the mechanism by which these monoclonal antibodies inhibit prion replication is unclear, some of the data suggest that antibodies might actively increase PrP(Sc) turnover. Thus antibodies that bind to both normal and disease-associated isoforms represent very promising anti-prion agents.

Original publication

DOI

10.1074/jbc.M402270200

Type

Journal article

Journal

J Biol Chem

Publication Date

17/09/2004

Volume

279

Pages

39671 - 39676

Keywords

Animals, Antibodies, Monoclonal, Antibody Specificity, Cell Line, Mice, Mice, Mutant Strains, PrPC Proteins, PrPSc Proteins, Precipitin Tests, Protein Binding