Urine test for human mad cow disease possible, research finds

A study published in JAMA Neurology has suggested that a urine test could potentially be used to test for Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD), or ‘human mad cow disease’.

Currently there is no easy test available to identify this rare and fatal neurodegenerative condition.

Doctors are can only confirm the condition by taking a sample of spinal fluid or brain tissue, or wait for a post-mortem after the patient has deceased.

Doctors examine the sample for deposits of abnormal prion protein which cause brain damage associated with the disease. However, research carried out by University College London has found that it may be possible to detect for the presence of abnormal prion proteins in urine.

If successful, the test will offer a way to diagnose CJD more rapidly and earlier, although as of yet, there is still no clear for the condition.

CJD is a degenerative brain disorder which can occur naturally or through eating infected beef or through contamination during medical or surgical treatment.

Dr Graham Jackson from UCL, one of the authors of the study, commented: “Although there is currently no cure for this disease, an accurate and early diagnosis is extremely important for patients and their families.

"In the future, as trials of potential therapies become available, the earlier a patient can be diagnosed the more effective any treatment is likely to be.

"This test could be a critical step forward."