Abstract: Prion diseases are transmissible neurodegenerative disorders affecting humans and various mammal animals. The infectious agent,prion,is composed by a misfolded form of the prion protein (PrP^Sc) that propagates in the absence of nucleic acid. Due to PrP^Sc mainly expressed in the brain and low expression in other organs,hence the most important objective in prion research is to find effective and accurate methods to detect the disease and prevent it. In this paper,we mainly described the established detecting methods for prions based on prion features and pathogenic characteristics,we hoped that could be helpful for people to understand this disease well and find effective way for the early diagnoses,as well as helpful for food safety and human health.

Key words: prion; detection; methods