Microscopic holes are characteristic in prion-affected tissue sections

“We are hopeful that the knowledge that we’ve gained from this study will eventually lead to a live test,” says Dr David Knox, a researcher at the Public Health Agency of Canada’s National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg. “It may be possible to develop similar tests for other species as well, including humans with Creutzfeldt Jakob disease (CJD). A urine test for CJD could assist doctors to narrow down potential diagnoses for people with dementia.”

The discovery of a new human variant of Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (vCJD), thought to be transmitted to humans via BSE-infected products, has resulted in many countries instituting extensive BSE testing programs for older animals. Diagnostic testing currently involves the detection of a misfolded “infectious” protein, or prion, in post-mortem brain tissue.

Knox led a team of researchers who have demonstrated that the “protein profile” of cattle urine samples can indicate the presence of a BSE infection as well as how far the disease has advanced. The scientists analysed the proteins in urine samples taken from four infected and four healthy cows of the same age over the course of the disease. The proteins from the healthy and infected samples were compared using a technique called two-dimensional differential-gel electrophoresis.

“Our work shows that it is possible to identify biomarkers in urine that could be useful in the diagnosis and monitoring of disease progression in BSE and related transmissible spongiform encephalopathies,” said Knox.