Lecture 12

A prion is an infectious agent that can cause disease by altering the shape of normal proteins in the brain.

Misfolded prion proteins convert normal proteins into misfolded versions, causing them to clump together and damage brain cells.

Prions are resistant to heat and other methods often used to kill bacteria and viruses.

Scrapie is a neurodegenerative disease caused by a prion, primarily affecting sheep and goats.

Scrapie can be transmitted between animals through direct contact or contaminated environments, making it challenging to control outbreaks.

Animals infected with Scrapie can remain asymptomatic for several years before developing progressive and fatal neurological symptoms.

Heat can kill most bacteria and viruses, but not prions. Therefore, consuming cooked contaminated meat can still pose a risk.

Inherited mutations in a gene can cause prions to misfold, leading to the development of prion diseases.

Prion diseases can affect humans and animals, causing various neurodegenerative disorders.

Once prions are in the body, there is no cure for prion diseases. Treatment focuses on managing symptoms.

A type of protein that can cause fatal brain diseases. Prions are unique because they are misfolded proteins that can cause other normal proteins to misfold, leading to a chain reaction that damages brain cells.

A fatal brain disease in sheep caused by prions. It's characterized by coordination problems, loss of balance, and eventual death.

A fatal brain disease in humans caused by prions. It's the most common type of human prion disease and can occur sporadically or be inherited.

A rare variant of CJD that emerged in the 1990s and is linked to the consumption of contaminated beef.

A fatal brain disease in humans caused by prions that was once common in New Guinea due to a ritualistic practice of eating deceased relatives' brains.

The time period between exposure to a prion and the development of disease symptoms.

A fatal brain disease in cattle caused by prions. It's known for causing a sponge-like appearance in the brain.

The process by which prions cause normal proteins to misfold, leading to the formation of more prions and brain damage.

The holes and gaps that develop in brain tissue due to prion-induced damage. These pores contribute to the sponge-like appearance of the brain.

The characteristic signs and symptoms of prion diseases, including coordination problems, loss of balance, and eventual death.

Prion diseases are a group of fatal neurodegenerative disorders caused by misfolded proteins called prions.

Prions are misfolded versions of a normal protein found in the brain, primarily neurons.

Prion diseases are characterized by the accumulation of misfolded prion proteins in the brain, leading to brain damage and ultimately death.

The misfolded prion protein is highly resistant to degradation by heat and proteases.

Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), commonly known as Mad Cow Disease, is a prion disease affecting cattle.

Mad Cow Disease can be transmitted to humans through consuming contaminated beef, leading to a variant of Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (vCJD).

Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (vCJD) is a human prion disease linked to consuming contaminated beef. It's a human version of Mad Cow Disease.

Prion diseases can be inherited, meaning a genetic predisposition exists. This means some individuals are more likely to develop prion diseases due to their genes.

Prion diseases cause severe neurological damage leading to dementia, memory loss, behavioral changes, and ultimately death.