text: It has been shown that PMCA is capable of detecting as little as a single molecule of oligomeric infectious PrP. PMCA possesses the ability to generate millions infectious units, starting with the equivalent to one PrP oligomer; well below the infectivity threshold.  This data demonstrates that PMCA has a similar power of amplification as PCR techniques used to amplify DNA. It opens a great promise for development of a highly sensitive detection of PrP, and for understanding the molecular basis of prion replication. Indeed, PMCA has been used by various groups to PrP in blood of animals experimentally infected with prions during both the symptomatic and pre-symptomatic phases as well as in urine.