NEW THEORIES. Advances in prion research don't come easily or without controversy. Recently researchers may have discovered a new function of the prion protein in long-term memories.

Gaining even more public awareness is a new theory published in The Lancet medical journal that proposes that BSE may have come from feeding British cattle meat and bone meal contaminated with human remains infected with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. With new theories on how prion diseases are and may be transmitted, scientific attention has increased over the last few years.

New findings. Where to find answers? At the "Prion2005" Congress - Europe's most significant scientific TSE conference. Here, the world's foremost experts in prion diseases will feature presentations and discussions on various aspects of prions and prion diseases. The conference provides an expert up-to-the-minute summary of relevant research issues and current public health concerns. As the center of excellence for prion diagnostics, Prionics contributes substantially to the scientific program of this event and with separate social events.

New future. We have collected significant know how and experience in the TSE field over the years with our research on understanding prion functions and the relationship between TSEs and other neurodegenerative diseases. We use this valuable experience in our activities centered around zoonotic diseases to continuously develop innovative solutions aimed at diagnosing and fighting such diseases. As we face the future, our customers can be assured that their needs are the driving force for our work.

Stephanie Musshafen
Corporate Communications