Gregory R. Bock & Joan Marsh 
Novel Infectious Agents and the Central Nervous System [PDF ebook] 

The term ‚unconventional virus‘ refers to virus-like agents that differ from conventional viruses in significant respects–resistance to agents that inactivate normal viruses, for example. Certain rare and fatal neurological disorders, such as the Creutzfeldt-Jacob syndrome and the Gerstmann-Straussler syndrome, are clearly produced by virus-like infectious agents, but the nature of these agents is not understood. This volume brings together the latest information on one such disease: Scrapie, a disease occurring in sheep. It discusses the nature of this infectious agent and insights gained through new techniques in molecular genetics. The work as a whole focuses on the implications of animal data for research on human disorders, such as the possible connection between unconventional viruses and Alzheimer’s Disease. The discussions represent the work of specialists from a broad spectrum of fields including virology, neuropathology, and molecular biology.

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Partial table of contents:

Clinical Neurology and Epidemiology of Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease,
with Special Reference to Iatrogenic Cases (P. Brown).

Pathogenesis of Experimental Scrapie 37 (R. Kimberlin C. Walker).

Genetic Control of Prion Incubation Period in Mice (C. Carlson,
et al.).

Potential Involvement of Retroviral Elements in Human Dementias
(L. Manuelidis, et al.).

Scrapie-Associated Fibrils, Pr P Protein and the Sinc Gene
(J. Hope N. Hunter).

Properties of Scrapie Prion Proteins in Liposomes and Amyloid Rods
(R. Gabizon, et al.).

Search for a Scrapie-Specific Nucleic Acid: A Progress Report (B.
Oesch, et al.).

Novel Mechanisms of Degeneration of the Central Nervous
System–Prion Structure and Biology(S.

Prusiner, et al.).

Index of Contributors.

Subject Index.

Über den Autor

The Novartis Foundation is an international scientific and educational charity which promotes the study and general knowledge of science and in particular encourages international co-operation in scientific research.