Scientists have discovered that blocking the production of proteins in the immune system could prevent the spread of a disease that destroys nerve cells.

Researchers said vCJD occurs when proteins known as prions accumulate in the spleen, lymph nodes and tonsils, before spreading to the brain, causing a disease that can go on to destroy the body’s nerve cells.

The team, from the University of Edinburgh’s Roslin Institute, said a study showed that blocking the production of a protein, PrPC, in one type of immune cell could stop the spread of prions.

Stopping these cells from expressing this protein did not affect the regular function of the immune system, they added.

When the follicular dendritic cells expressed PrPC, prions were able to replicate on the surface of these cells and spread throughout the body.

However, when the cells were prevented from producing PrPC, the prions were not able to multiply and were destroyed by other cells in the immune system.

Neil Mabbott, from the Roslin Institute, who led the study, said: “If we can find a way of stopping this protein from being expressed by specific immune cells then we could potentially block the spread of the disease to the brain.

“We also want to understand how cells are infected with vCJD in the first place, so that we can look at ways of stopping this from happening and find ways to diagnose the disease at its early stages.”

The study, funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, has been published in the PLoS Pathogens journal and could lead to treatments to stop vCJD spreading to the brain.

Scientists said that any treatments would only be viable if the condition was diagnosed in its early stages.