Volume 2: Science
Table of Contents

1 Introduction
   Background to the science of BSE

2 The Spongiform Encephalopathies - knowledge existing in 1986
   Introduction
   Animal and human transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs)
   Other neurodegenerative diseases
   Nature of the TSE agent and mode of replication
   Genetic aspects of scrapie
   Transmission of TSEs
   Pathogenesis
   Prion mutations and polymorphisms in human TSEs
   Summary

3 The nature and cause of BSE
   Introduction
   The investigation of the BSE epidemic
   Other theories about the nature and cause of BSE
   The continuing epidemic and alternative routes of BSE transmission
   Dose
   Infectivity and transmissibility of BSE
   BSE incidence in Europe
   Transmission of BSE to sheep
   Summary

4 The link between BSE and vCJD
   CJD surveillance
   Experimental studies into a BSE/CJD link
   Estimates of the size of the vCJD epidemic
   The effect of route of infection on disease phenotype
   Summary

5 Diagnosis and therapy
   Detection of ruminant protein in animal feedstuffs
   Diagnosis
   Therapy
   Summary

6 TSE research: planning, funding and implementation
   Introduction

Part 1: How research was commissioned and funded
   Before 1986 - background
   Summary

Part 2: Commissioning and funding of research, 1986-96
   Introduction
   Funding - the PES system
   Changing priorities for agricultural and food research
   Funders
   Providers
   Arrangements for commissioning and funding research
   The Central Veterinary Laboratory (CVL)
   The Department of Health (DH)
   The Wellcome Trust

Part 3: Research into TSEs - a narrative account
   MAFF's TSE research
   Project funding and TSE research by others

7 Conclusions drawn from the scientific response to BSE
   Summary of main conclusions
   Assessment of research in response to BSE
   Policies on research management and evaluation
   Animal disease surveillance
   The investigation and management of potential zoonoses

Annex:References for Table 2.2 - human mutations

Glossary of scientific and other terms

Who's who

Index
  
   Figure 1.1: a - DNA double helix section; b - Schematic representation of a single (coding) strand of DNA
   Figure 1.2: Protein synthesis
   Figure 1.3: Mitosis
   Figure 1.4: Schematic representation of a locus and alleles
   Figure 1.5: Meiosis
   Figure 1.6: Generation of transgenic mice
   Figure 1.7: Schematic diagram of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) as a model for virus structure
   Figure 1.8: Western blotting: the process
   Figure 1.9: Western blotting: examples
   Figure 1.10: Titration
   Figure 2.1: Proposed three-dimensional structure (a) PrP^C and (b) PrP^Sc
   Table 2.1: A - Distribution of scrapie infectivity in non-neural tissues of subclinically infected sheep; B - Distribution of scrapie infectivity in nervous tissue of clinically affected sheep; C - Distribution of scrapie infectivity in non-neural tissues of clinically affected sheep
   Table 2.2: List of human mutations
   Table 2.3: Codon 129 polymorphisms in CJD
   Table 3.1: Host range of BSE
   Table 3.2: Categories of tissue infectivity
   Table 3.3: Cases of scrapie in sheep and goats, 1980-98
   Figure 6.1: Funders and providers of BSE- and CJD-related research