A new chapter for CWRU’s Prion Center
Case Western Reserve University’s National Prion Disease Pathology Surveillance Center has moved into a new space with modern facilities in the Robbins Building. September 01, 2026 | Story by: Kayla Kingston With a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Aug. 28, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine’s National Prion Disease Pathology Surveillance Center (NPDPSC) celebrated its new space on the fourth floor of the Robbins Building, marking the next chapter for one of the nation’s most unique prion disease programs.
Previously housed in the Institute of Pathology, the new location provides updated and expanded facilities for the NPDPSC, which aims to protect public health and improve the lives of people affected by prion disease through definitive diagnosis, national surveillance, scientific discovery, clinical research and compassionate support for patients and families.
Founded in 1997, the NPDPSC was created in response to the discovery that bovine spongiform encephalopathy—commonly called “mad cow disease”—could transmit to humans, as well as growing reports of fatal Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease being medically transmitted through the use of growth hormones derived from donated bodies. Today, it’s the only center of its kind in the U.S., as it's the only lab approved by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to conduct neuropathologic surveillance.
“There are other surveillance centers around the world, but we differ from them in terms of size of our catchment area, number of expected cases, extremely large biorepository, integration of clinical diagnostic testing, as well as collaboration on local and national Alzheimer's disease and related dementia projects,” shared NPDPSC Director Brian Appleby, MD. “The NPDPSC uniquely touches all aspects of the disease.”
As it approaches its 30th anniversary, the NPDPSC continues to expand its impact through new studies, industry partnerships and broader neurodegenerative disease research. Its new home in the Robbins Building will give the center the modern space it needs to persist in leading this critical work.
“For nearly three decades, people have turned to this program for answers that few other places can provide,” said Dean Stanton Gerson, MD, at the ribbon-cutting ceremony. “Researchers have relied on its expertise, its tissue and its data, and our public health system has relied on the people here to recognize and understand prion disease. These new facilities give that work a better place to continue.”
https://case.edu/news/new-chapter-cwrus-prion-center
Mortality of Individuals With PRNP Variants Associated With Prion Disease in the United States, 1998–2024 Singeltary Review 2026 August 26, 2026
https://creutzfeldt-jakob-disease.blogspot.com/2026/08/mortality-of-individuals-with-prnp.html
https://prpsc.proboards.com/thread/237/mortality-variants-associated-prion-disease
SATURDAY, AUGUST 29, 2026
Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy BSE, Scrapie, CWD, CJD, TSE prion Update September 2026
https://transmissiblespongiformencephalopathy.blogspot.com/2026/08/bovine-spongiform-encephalopathy-bse.html
https://prpsc.proboards.com/thread/238/scrapie-prion-update-september-2026
USA Report, Scrapie, CWD, BSE, TSE, Cattle, Sheep, Pigs, Cervid, Humans, Zoonotic, 2026
April 2026
https://fdabse589.blogspot.com/2026/04/usa-report-scrapie-cwd-bse-tse-cattle.html
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/403956772_USA_Report_Scrapie_CWD_BSE_TSE_Cattle_Sheep_Pigs_Cervid_Humans_Zoonotic_2026
SUNDAY, AUGUST 09, 2026
Chronic Wasting Disease CWD and Population Declines of Cervid
https://chronic-wasting-disease.blogspot.com/2026/08/chronic-wasting-disease-cwd-and.html
https://prpsc.proboards.com/thread/229/cwd-prion-population-declines-cervid
***> 1. 01 Determined that white-tailed deer (WTD) infected with scrapie from sheep can transmit the disease to other deer under conditions mimicking natural exposure.
https://www.ars.usda.gov/research/project/?accnNo=440677&fy=202
https://www.ars.usda.gov/research/publications/publication/?seqNo115=336834
https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/30/8/24-0007_article
don’t forget the pigs, outbreak of cwd in pigs in Texas and Arkansas;
Chronic wasting disease prions in cervids and wild pigs in North America Preliminary Outbreak Assessment DEFRA 26 January 2026 Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Preliminary Outbreak Assessment
Chronic wasting disease prions in cervids and wild pigs in North America
26 January 2026
Disease report
“They analysed over 300 brain and lymph node samples from 178 wild pigs living across Arkansas and Texas, USA…the researchers identified CWD prions in up to 37% of the lymph node samples and 15% of brain samples. The lowest detection rates were in the Texas samples (below 16%), matching the lower CWD prevalence in the state’s cervid population.”
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/697a3b013c71d838df6bd413/CWD_Prions_in_Cervids_and_Wild_Pigs_in_North_America.pdf
Detection of Prions in Wild Pigs (Sus scrofa) from Areas with Reported Chronic Wasting Disease Cases, United State Volume 31, Number 1—January 2025
https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/31/1/24-0401_article
SUNDAY, JULY 19, 2026
Texas Chronic Wasting Disease CWD TSE Prion 1,393 Confirmed Cases To Date July 2026
https://chronic-wasting-disease.blogspot.com/2026/07/texas-chronic-wasting-disease-cwd-tse.html
https://prpsc.proboards.com/thread/225/texas-cwd-prion-confirmed-date
TUESDAY, AUGUST 11, 2026
Mad cow disease: Could it be here? 2001 revisited 2026
https://prpsc.proboards.com/thread/230/mad-disease-2001-revisited-2026
https://bovineprp.blogspot.com/2026/08/mad-cow-disease-could-it-be-here-2001.html
MONDAY, JUNE 1, 2026
NATIONAL PRION DISEASE PATHOLOGY SURVEILLANCE CENTER CJD SURVEILLANCE TABLES OF CASES EXAMINED NPDPSC Last updated March 31st, 2026
https://prionunitusaupdate.blogspot.com/2026/06/national-prion-disease-pathology.html
US NATIONAL PRION DISEASE PATHOLOGY SURVEILLANCE CENTER CJD TSE REPORT SEPTEMBER 2025
From the first full year of reporting CJD TSE in the US in 2000, where 90 cases of CJD was reported that year, to today, where in September 2025, the number of CJD cases reported in the last full year reporting, which would have been 2024, the number of CJD cases for 2024 was 249 cases. So, from the first full year 2000 CJD cases were 90 cases confirmed in that year, to 2024, where 2024 CJD statistics rose to 249 confirmed CJD cases in a single year. A dramatic increase in deaths, from figures that don’t seem to be dramatic. But thes figures today, they are not from “better surveillance”, that dog don’t hunt no more. They have been saying this for over 25 years, year after year, well it’s time to call it for what it is, Human Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy TSE Prion cases are rising, and it’s NOT because of better surveillance, or just a “happenstance of bad luck, that 85%+ of all human cases, sporadic CJD, including VPSPr, just happen spontaneously, no, it’s because of unknown environmental factors, and or iatrogenic factors, imho…terry
US NATIONAL PRION DISEASE PATHOLOGY SURVEILLANCE CENTER CJD TSE REPORT SEPTEMBER 2025
https://prionunitusaupdate.blogspot.com/2025/10/us-national-prion-disease-pathology.html
SATURDAY, JANUARY 10, 2026
***> Neuropsychiatric symptoms in sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, a review
https://creutzfeldt-jakob-disease.blogspot.com/2026/01/neuropsychiatric-symptoms-in-sporadic.html
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2025
While no one was watching: Tenuous status of CDC prion unit, risk of CWD to people worry scientists
https://chronic-wasting-disease.blogspot.com/2025/11/while-no-one-was-watching-tenuous.html
https://prpsc.proboards.com/thread/191/neuropsychiatric-symptoms-sporadic-cjd-review
Cervid CWD TSE PrP Transmission to Humans, has it already happened and being masked as sporadic CJD, What if? July 2026 Review
https://chronic-wasting-disease.blogspot.com/2026/07/cervid-cwd-tse-prp-transmission-to.html
https://prpsc.proboards.com/thread/224/cervid-transmission-humans-july-review
So, this is what we leave our children and grandchildren?
2001 Singeltary on CJD, Journal of American Medical Association
February 14, 2001
Diagnosis and Reporting of Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease
Terry S. Singeltary, Sr
Author Affiliations
JAMA. 2001;285(6):733-734. doi:10-1001/pubs.JAMA-ISSN-0098-7484-285-6-jlt0214
To the Editor: In their Research Letter, Dr Gibbons and colleagues1 reported that the annual US death rate due to Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) has been stable since 1985. These estimates, however, are based only on reported cases, and do not include misdiagnosed or preclinical cases. It seems to me that misdiagnosis alone would drastically change these figures. An unknown number of persons with a diagnosis of Alzheimer disease in fact may have CJD, although only a small number of these patients receive the postmortem examination necessary to make this diagnosis. Furthermore, only a few states have made CJD reportable. Human and animal transmissible spongiform encephalopathies should be reportable nationwide and internationally.
February 14, 2001
Diagnosis and Reporting of Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease
Terry S. Singeltary, Sr
Author Affiliations
JAMA. 2001;285(6):733-734. doi:10-1001/pubs.JAMA-ISSN-0098-7484-285-6-jlt0214
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/1031186
RE-Monitoring the occurrence of emerging forms of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in the United States 2003 Singeltary Journal of Neurology
26 MARCH 2003
RE-Monitoring the occurrence of emerging forms of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in the United States
Terry S. Singeltary, retired (medically)
I lost my mother to hvCJD (Heidenhain Variant CJD). I would like to comment on the CDC's attempts to monitor the occurrence of emerging forms of CJD. Asante, Collinge et al [1] have reported that BSE transmission to the 129-methionine genotype can lead to an alternate phenotype that is indistinguishable from type 2 PrPSc, the commonest sporadic CJD. However, CJD and all human TSEs are not reportable nationally. CJD and all human TSEs must be made reportable in every state and internationally. I hope that the CDC does not continue to expect us to still believe that the 85%+ of all CJD cases which are sporadic are all spontaneous, without route/source. We have many TSEs in the USA in both animal and man. CWD in deer/elk is spreading rapidly and CWD does transmit to mink, ferret, cattle, and squirrel monkey by intracerebral inoculation. With the known incubation periods in other TSEs, oral transmission studies of CWD may take much longer. Every victim/family of CJD/TSEs should be asked about route and source of this agent. To prolong this will only spread the agent and needlessly expose others. In light of the findings of Asante and Collinge et al, there should be drastic measures to safeguard the medical and surgical arena from sporadic CJDs and all human TSEs. I only ponder how many sporadic CJDs in the USA are type 2 PrPSc?
https://www.neurology.org/doi/10.1212/01.WNL.0000036913.87823.D6
14th ICID International Scientific Exchange Brochure -
Final Abstract Number: ISE.114
Session: International Scientific Exchange
Transmissible Spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) animal and human TSE in North America
update October 2009
T. Singeltary
Bacliff, TX, USA
Background:
An update on atypical BSE and other TSE in North America. Please remember, the typical U.K. c-BSE, the atypical l-BSE (BASE), and h-BSE have all been documented in North America, along with the typical scrapie's, and atypical Nor-98 Scrapie, and to date, 2 different strains of CWD, and also TME. All these TSE in different species have been rendered and fed to food producing animals for humans and animals in North America (TSE in cats and dogs ?), and that the trading of these TSEs via animals and products via the USA and Canada has been immense over the years, decades.
Methods:
12 years independent research of available data
Results:
I propose that the current diagnostic criteria for human TSEs only enhances and helps the spreading of human TSE from the continued belief of the UKBSEnvCJD only theory in 2009. With all the science to date refuting it, to continue to validate this old myth, will only spread this TSE agent through a multitude of potential routes and sources i.e. consumption, medical i.e., surgical, blood, dental, endoscopy, optical, nutritional supplements, cosmetics etc.
Conclusion:
I would like to submit a review of past CJD surveillance in the USA, and the urgent need to make all human TSE in the USA a reportable disease, in every state, of every age group, and to make this mandatory immediately without further delay. The ramifications of not doing so will only allow this agent to spread further in the medical, dental, surgical arena's. Restricting the reporting of CJD and or any human TSE is NOT scientific. Iatrogenic CJD knows NO age group, TSE knows no boundaries. I propose as with Aguzzi, Asante, Collinge, Caughey, Deslys, Dormont, Gibbs, Gajdusek, Ironside, Manuelidis, Marsh, et al and many more, that the world of TSE Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy is far from an exact science, but there is enough proven science to date that this myth should be put to rest once and for all, and that we move forward with a new classification for human and animal TSE that would properly identify the infected species, the source species, and then the route.
http://ww2.isid.org/Downloads/14th_ICID_ISE_Abstracts.pdf
archived url;
https://web.archive.org/web/20100216162542/http://ww2.isid.org/Downloads/14th_ICID_ISE_Abstracts.pdf
International Society for Infectious Diseases Web: http://www.isid.org
http://prionunitusaupdate2008.blogspot.com/2010/01/human-prion-diseases-in-united-states.html
my comments to PLosone here ;
http://www.plosone.org/annotation/listThread.action?inReplyTo=info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fannotation%2F04ce2b24-613d-46e6-9802-4131e2bfa6fd&root=info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fannotation%2F04ce2b24-613d-46e6-9802-4131e2bfa6fd
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Transmissible Spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) animal and human TSE in North America 14th
ICID International Scientific Exchange Brochure -
http://transmissiblespongiformencephalopathy.blogspot.com/2010/02/transmissible-spongiform-encephalopathy.html
2023
https://creutzfeldt-jakob-disease.blogspot.com/2023/09/professor-john-collinge-on-tackling.html
***> NOW think iatrogenic TSE PrP transmission to humans from exposure to Cervid CWD TSE PrP, what if?
all iatrogenic cjd is, is sporadic cjd, before the iatrogenic event is discovered, traced back, proven, documented, put into the academic domain, and then finally the public domain, this very seldom happens, thus problem solved, it's all sporadic cjd.
iatrogenic Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy
https://itseprion.blogspot.com/
UK Jonh Collinge MRC on sporadic CJD;
“sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (sCJD), a rapidly progressive dementia which accounts for around 1 in 5000 deaths worldwide.”
***> 2023 Professor John Collinge on tackling prion diseases <***
“The best-known human prion disease is sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (sCJD), a rapidly progressive dementia which accounts for around 1 in 5000 deaths worldwide.”
There is accumulating evidence also for iatrogenic AD.
Understanding prion biology, and in particular how propagation of prions leads to neurodegeneration, is therefore of central research importance in medicine.
https://www.ucl.ac.uk/brain-sciences/research/dementia-ucl-priority/professor-john-collinge-tackling-prion-diseases
Terry S. Singeltary Sr.
