HL Deb 12 February 1998 vol 585 c221WA
Lord Lucas

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they are aware of any research findings that demonstrate:

  1. (a) whether the altered version of the prion protein, PrPSc, is destroyed by the human digestive system, and
  2. (b) whether it is so altered by that system that it is incapable of mediating the transformation of normal prion protein into PrPSc; and, if so, whether they will place copies of the principal papers recording such research in the Library of the House. [HL397]

Baroness Jay of Paddington

We are not aware of any specific research in this area. However, the study of the Kuru epidemic in Papua New Guinea, the main source of our knowledge of human transmissible spongiform encephalopathies, may suggest that the abnormal prion protein can survive the human digestive process. Furthermore the epidemiological study of bovine spongiform encephalopathy suggests that the cause of the disease was the consumption of contaminated feeding-stuffs; if that is the case it would show that the bovine digestive system does not destroy the abnormal prion protein.