Similarly, autophagy activator genes HSPA8 [heat shock protein family A (Hsp70) member 8] and HSPB8 [heat shock protein family B (small) member 8] are upregulated in the CNS of sCJD-infected Tg340-PRNP129MM mice at clinical stage, sCJD patients (Llorens et al., 2017), and naturally scrapie-infected sheep (Serrano et al., 2011). This evidence concerns the gene HSPB8 and scrapie.