Transgenic Mice Expressing a Prion Protein with an Insertion Mutation

Dr. Harris is working to create and analyze genetically engineered mice that produce a mutant prion protein (PrP) similar to the one found in an inherited form of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, the human prion disease associated with “mad cow disease.” The mice would then be used to compare the chemical and metabolic properties of the PrP in different types of cells and tissues. These mice will be examined to study neurodegenerative disease and to determine if it can be transmitted from the mice to hamsters, thereby shedding light on the transmission of neurodegenerative disease from one species to another.