Specific cells within the immune system could help explain why younger people are more susceptible to variant CJD, scientists believe
Specific cells within the immune system could help explain why younger people are more susceptible to variant CJD, scientists believe.
Patients diagnosed with variant CJD are, on average, 28 years old but it has been unclear why older people are not as affected by the disease.
Research at The Roslin Institute of the University of Edinburgh has identified specific cells within the immune system that attract corrupted proteins - known as prions - linked to variant CJD and encourage them to multiply and spread.
The study, published in the Journal of Immunology, looked at how these cells behaved in mice and found that the cells were impaired in older mice. As a result, they were unable to trap and replicate the prions and the mice did not develop clinical disease.
Neil Mabbott, of The Roslin Institute, said: "It has always been unclear why younger people were more susceptible to variant CJD and the assumption that they were more likely to eat cheap meat products is far too simplistic.
"Understanding what happens to these cells, which are important for the body's immune responses, could help us develop better ways of diagnosing variant CJD or even find ways of preventing prions from spreading to the brain. It could also help to create a vaccine."