First Meeting: Working Group on International Reference Materials for Diagnosis and Study of Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies (TSEs)

Overview

The need for Reference Reagents and Reference Panels to facilitate development and comparison of various diagnostic approaches and assay systems for diagnosis of TSEs, including CJD in humans, bovine spongiform encephalopathy and scrapie of sheep and goats was recognized at a WHO Consultation on Diagnostic Procedures for Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies (TSEs) held in March 1999.

Although considerable progress in the laboratory tests was reported, the predictive value of these assays in terms of TSE infectivity has not yet been established and correlation with bioassays in animal models will be required. Several technical questions concerning sensitivity, specificity, application to different tissues etc. will have to be answered in order to compare assays and results obtained by different groups. Therefore, the WHO Secretariat was requested to form a WHO Working Group on International Reference Materials for the Diagnosis and Study of TSEs as a matter of urgency.

The first Meeting of the Working Group was convened at WHO Headquarters, Geneva, on 21-22 September 1999. The terms of reference of the Working Group and list of participants are attached as Annexes 1, 2 of this Report.