| 摘要 |
It has been discovered that it is possible to treat solutions of connective tissue material for the inactivation of prions in a manner such that connective tissue molecules are not adversely affected by the inactivation treatment. For example, solubilized atelopeptide collagen can be treated with sodium hydroxide for the inactivation of prions and other infectious agents without affecting the ability of the solubilized collagen to form stable fibers. In accordance with the present invention, a first method for the treatment of connective tissue materials such as collagen for the inactivation of prions and other infective agents, to obtain at least 5 logs of protection, comprises the following steps: a) placing the connective tissue material into a liquid solution, whereby the surface area of the connective tissue molecules is exposed, to expose the prions and other infectious agents for treatment; and b) contacting the liquid solution of connective tissue material with sodium hydroxide so that the concentration of sodium hydroxide in said solution ranges from about 0.1M to about 0.7M, for a time period sufficient to inactivate the prions and other infective agents without affecting the performance of the connective tissue material, at a temperature of about 25 DEG C. or less.
|
