$3M supports 10 projects researching prion diseases

Vancouver, BC – PrioNet Canada, a new Networks of Centres of Excellence established last November, has announced ten projects across Canada for its first open call for proposals. $3 million has been awarded over two years to the various projects.

Each of the awarded projects complement PrioNets five core research themes of BSE (cattle); chronic wasting disease (CWD) (cervids); Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (humans); prion protein structure and function; and prion disease risk management.

Selected project topics include: vaccine developments for BSE and CWD; tests to detect infectious prions; how prions turn from benign to disease-causing agents; surveillance and monitoring of CWD; and the impact of prion diseases on farm family community health.

We were thrilled with the number of applications and high-caliber response to our open call, says Dr Neil Cashman, PrioNets scientific director.

PrioNets next open call will take place in early 2008. PrioNet Canada (www.prionetcanada.ca) is a federally funded Networks of Centres of Excellence established to address the many challenges of Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies (TSEs) or prion diseases in Canada.