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Prion infection of cells
Most studies of prions have required use of laboratory animals but more recently it has been possible to isolate types of cells that can be grown indefinitely in the laboratory and used to propagate prions. However, it turns out to be very difficult to find cells that will propagate prions efficiently and the ones that do typically will only propagate just one type, or strain, of prions. By studying different lines of cells that are highly susceptible or poorly susceptible to defined prion strains, we aim to identify the genes that are required to render cells susceptible or resistant.