A new study by researchers at New York University found that mice given an oral vaccine developed higher antibodies, and the prion proteins similar to that which is seen in cattle with BSE. The mouse showed no symptoms 400 days after having been exposed to the BSE virus.

While promising results in mice are encouraging, researchers stress that there is still a lot of work to be done before the drug will be effective and safe for human consumption.

Thomas Wisniewski, M.D., of New York University, gave the promising results to researchers at a meeting of the American Academy of Neurology.

The New York researchers will benefit from the assistance of groups in both the US and Europe who are working on vaccines as well. The vaccine developed by Wisniewski and his research team uses prion proteins attached to a genetically modified strain of the salmonella virus. This is a common vaccine development technique.