Researchers from the Centre for Encephalopathies and Emerging Communicable Diseases of the University of Zaragoza, within the framework of the NEURO-COOP project, have managed to detect prions (PrP^Sc) in the oocytes and ovaries of sheep naturally infected with classical scrapie, using the ultra-sensitive PMCA (Protein Misfolding Cyclic Amplification) technique.

This finding, recently published in the journal Veterinary Research, represents the first direct evidence of the possible involvement of the female germline in the vertical transmission of this neurodegenerative disease, until now considered predominantly horizontal.

This finding, recently published in the journal Veterinary Research, represents the first direct evidence of the possible involvement of the female germline in the vertical transmission of this neurodegenerative disease, until now considered predominantly horizontal.

These results could have important implications for sheep genetic selection and control programmes, as well as for the design of future scrapie eradication strategies.