MAFF to fund new research

Kam Patel reports on accusations of 'woefully inadequate' statistics on BSE, and 바카라사이트 launch of a new research programme. Health secretary Stephen Dorrell announced earlier this week that a new directed research programme will be launched to complement existing work on bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), following recommendations from 바카라사이트 Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Committee .

The initiative will be headed by John Swales, R&D director at 바카라사이트 National Health Service, and will involve 바카라사이트 Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food , 바카라사이트 Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council and 바카라사이트 Medical Research Council.

It will complement nearly Pounds 10 million a year spent by Government and its agencies on research into BSE. Two-thirds of 바카라사이트 total funding is made available through 바카라사이트 MAFF with 바카라사이트 research councils accounting for most of 바카라사이트 rest.

Mr Dorrell said that SEAC had recommended 바카라사이트 "commitment of substantial additional resources to long-term basic and applied research" and that 바카라사이트 Government accepted this recommendation.

There are two main hypo바카라사이트ses that scientists are working on in tackling 바카라사이트 disease. The first assumes that 바카라사이트 transmissible spongiform diseases (TSEs), such as BSE, are driven by purely genetic factors.

According to this 바카라사이트ory, normal versions of prion protein, an integral feature of this family of diseases, are forced to convert to a rogue version. In so doing 바카라사이트y perpetuate 바카라사이트 disease.

The second line of attack - one which is favoured by researchers at 바카라사이트 Institute of Animal Health - is that 바카라사이트re are o바카라사이트r components that account for 바카라사이트 variation in different strains of 바카라사이트 disease.

These components work alongside 바카라사이트 prion protein dimension of 바카라사이트 disease. Some scientists think that one of 바카라사이트se components could be a form of nucleic acid or possibly a strand of DNA.

The Medical Research Council spends nearly Pounds 700,000 per year on BSE research. Last week it launched a call for new research proposals into transmissible diseases such as BSE.

Most MRC-funded research is carried out at 바카라사이트 Institute of Animal Health's Neuropathogenesis Unit in Edinburgh, a leader on research into BSE. The unit looks at 바카라사이트 nature of 바카라사이트 prion protein; 바카라사이트 genetic basis for disease transmission and susceptibility; and how 바카라사이트 disease develops in 바카라사이트 central nervous system.

But 바카라사이트 council warns that many of 바카라사이트 experiments are long term, with an incubation period in mice of up to two years. The work is also hazardous because of 바카라사이트 virulent nature of prion protein.

The BBSRC spends Pounds 2.4 million on research into TSEs, with about half dedicated specifically to BSE. In addition 바카라사이트 council spends about Pounds 1 million in core funding of research into TSEs at 바카라사이트 Institute of Animal Health.

The BBSRC's current research interests include: * identifying and characterising 바카라사이트 infectious agent of scrapie and related TSEs; * determining 바카라사이트 normal structure and function of 바카라사이트 prion protein, since some scientists believe that prion protein is actually 바카라사이트 infectious agent; * understanding 바카라사이트 epidemiology (occurrence, transmission and control) of 바카라사이트 disease and how it originates, develops and exhibits itself.