Composition and method for destruction of infectious prion proteins

A method of enhancing degradability of an infectious prion protein by proteolytic enzymatic degradation treatment, including (a) heating the prion protein to a temperature below the pyrolytic destruction temperature of the prion protein, followed by (b) enzymatic degradation treatment of the prion protein.

A method of removing infective prion protein from bovine tissue containing or contaminated with same, the method including (a) cooking the bovine tissue at a temperature in a range of from about 100° C. to about 150° C., followed by (b) exposing the bovine tissue to a proteolytic enzyme at a temperature in a range of from about 35° C. to about 100° C. at which the proteolytic enzyme is thermally stable and proteolytically effective to at least partially destroy the infective prion protein associated with the bovine tissue.

A method of degrading an infectious prion protein, comprising (a) heating the infectious prion protein to temperature in a first elevated temperature range, followed by (b) cooling the infectious prion protein to lower elevated temperature in a second elevated temperature range, and (c) exposing the infectious prion protein to a proteolytic enzyme effective at such lower elevated temperature to degrade the infectious prion protein to a benign degradation product.

A method of at least partially degrading infectious prion protein in tissue containing or contaminated with same, by steps including heating the tissue and simultaneously exposing same to a thermal stable proteolytic enzyme, at sufficient temperature and for sufficient time to at least partially degrade the infectious prion protein.

A method of processing an animal meat product or by-product to clear BSE-mediating infectious prion protein therefrom, the method comprising treating the animal meat product or by-product with a thermotolerant protease under sufficient temperature and for sufficient time to destroy the BSE-mediating infectious prion protein therein.

A tissue composition comprising tissue containing or contaminated with an infectious prion protein and a proteolytic enzyme that is thermally stable in a temperature range of from about 35° C. to about 100° C.

A method of processing of an animal meat product or by-product, comprising treating the animal meat product or by-product with a protease that is effective for destruction of any infectious prion protein associated therewith.