Self Prion Protein Peptides Are Immunogenic in Lewis Rats

    December 2001 in “ Journal of autoimmunity ”
    Lina Souan, Raanan Margalit, Ori Brenner, Irun R. Cohen, Felix Mor
    TLDR Rats can develop an immune response to prion protein peptides, but it may cause severe skin issues in older rats.
    The study investigated the immunogenicity of prion protein peptides in Lewis rats by immunizing them with peptides fitting the MHC class II RT1.B1 motif. Both humoral and cellular immune responses were observed without adverse effects in young rats. However, in 8-month-old rats, 6 out of 36 developed severe skin inflammation and hair loss. These results indicated that self-prion peptides could induce an immune response in Lewis rats, potentially leading to pathogenic outcomes in older animals.
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