May 8, 2007

Research shows "promising results" on mad cow vaccine

Researchers from the New York University are elated on results of a vaccine intended to combat against for bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) or commonly called as mad cow disease.

The research shows that the mice given the oral vaccine developed higher antibodies, and the prion proteins similar to that which is seen in cattle with BSE. The mouse showed no symptoms 400 days after having been exposed to the BSE virus.

However, researchers stress that a there is still a lot of work to be done before the drug will be effective and safe for human consumption.

Thomas Wisniewski, M.D., of New York University, gave the promising results to researchers at a meeting of the American Academy of Neurology.

The New York researchers will benefit from the assistance of groups in both the US and Europe who are also working on vaccines. The vaccine developed by Wisniewski and his research team uses prion proteins attached to a genetically modified strain of the salmonella virus which is a common vaccine development technique.