Prions and prion-like proteins call for Biosafety oversight. They are defined as human or animal proteins that meet any of the following criteria:

• Associated with a proteinopathy
• Shown to be transmissible cell-to-cell
• Appears in fibrillar or aggregated forms that have been shown to “seed” a pathology associated with a disease

Prior to commencement, all work with these substances requires approval from the Administrative Panel on Biosafety (APB). In particular, in vitro or in vivo work requires an APB-approved protocol. Please refer to section 3.8 Requirements for Research with Prions and Prion-Like Proteins in the Biosafety Manual for further details.