Scientists Closer to Unfolding Mysteries of Prion Formation in Mad Cow Disease
Short elements within a prion protein's sequence can cause it to activate and even cross the species barrier to spread neurodegenerative disorders such as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease to humans
Prions, the maddening, infectious proteins, and the diseases they trigger, such as the fatal neurodegenerative disorder in humans, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease—as well as its bovine counterpart, mad cow disease—have baffled scientists for decades. Although researchers know what they are (abnormally folded proteins) and the illnesses that they cause, how they form and multiply has remained elusive.
