What are Prions?
Prions are mysterious and fascinating infectious agents that are not made up of DNA or RNA like typical viruses or bacteria. Instead, they consist of misfolded proteins that can cause a chain reaction of misfolding in healthy proteins, leading to various neurodegenerative diseases.
How do Prions Work?
When a prion enters the body, it comes into contact with a normal protein and causes it to fold abnormally. This misfolded protein then spreads throughout the brain, disrupting normal cellular processes and causing neurological damage.
Prion Diseases
One of the most well-known prion diseases is Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD), which is a rapidly progressing and fatal neurodegenerative disorder. Other prion diseases include mad cow disease (bovine spongiform encephalopathy) and scrapie in sheep.
Diagnosis and Treatment
Diagnosing prion diseases can be challenging due to their similarity to other neurodegenerative disorders. Currently, there is no cure for prion diseases, and treatment options are limited to managing symptoms and providing supportive care.
Prevention
Preventing prion diseases requires strict food safety measures to avoid the consumption of contaminated meat products. In addition, research is ongoing to develop effective diagnostic tools and potential treatments for prion diseases.
