ABSTRACT
Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) are 100% fatal diseases. Currently there is no approved treatment for these diseases. Only a few molecules have been tested in human clinical trials, and so far all of them have failed to produce any significant improvement. The little effort spent in finding therapies stands in stark contrast to the great progress in understanding the molecular basis of the disease pathogenesis. The reason for the slow transition from the scientific advances to clinical applications is likely due to the pharmaceutical industry’s lack of interest in these rare diseases. However, in the last few years, many academic groups have been attempting to implement novel therapeutic approaches, and with the help of government funds, some of them are being tested on humans. This chapter describes the putative targets for TSE therapy and the current status of some of the therapeutic approaches under development for TSE treatment.
