Interventional strategies against prion diseases

Only a few years ago, the idea that transmissible spongiform encephalopathi es could be treated pharmacologically would have met with considerable scep ticism. Even now, there is no way to cure a patient or animal suffering fro m a manifest prion disease. But recent, exciting developments seem to indic ate that immunological and pharmacological interventions could have some po tential for the pre-exposure and post-exposure prophylaxis of prion disease s. Although it is unlikely that we will be able to cure the clinically over t stages of prion diseases in the foreseeable future, palliative and even l ife-prolonging Interventions might no longer be confined to the realm of sc ience fiction.