We have studied the expression of uPAR and uPA, as well as tPA and PAI-1, in the CNS in a number of insults that generate distinct and well-characterized inflammatory responses: acute nondegenerative inflammation induced by LPS (Andersson et al.,1992), acute neurodegeneration-associated inflammation induced by kainic acid (Andersson et al.,1991a,b), and chronic neurodegeneration-associated inflammation induced during prion disease (Betmouni et al.,1996; Cunningham et al.,2002; Walsh et al.,2001). The gene discussed is PLAU; the disease is prion disease.