Prion News and Research

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Researchers determine atomic interactions that stabilize phase-changing proteins

Most of the well-studied proteins in our bodies are like metal; some can change shape easily, like aluminum foil, and others are rigid, like steel beams, but they typically have a solid, well-defined structure.

2 Jul 2019

Scientists create 'mini-brain' for studying sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease

National Institutes of Health scientists have used human skin cells to create what they believe is the first cerebral organoid system, or "mini-brain," for studying sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.

16 Jun 2019

Researchers develop new gene-targeted approach to study chronic wasting disease in mice

Infectious proteins called prions cause a group of related, fatal and incurable neurodegenerative disorders, including bovine spongiform encephalopathy or Mad Cow disease and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, both of which affect humans.

12 Jun 2019

Concussion symptoms can be reversed by magnetic stimulation

Concussion symptoms--such as loss of balance, hazy comprehension, sleep disturbance and ability to walk straight--can be reversed by a new type of magnetic stimulation, research at the University of Saskatchewan shows.

30 May 2019

Alzheimer's disease may be caused by infectious proteins called prions

Scientists have used advanced laboratory assays to show that high levels of prions are implicated in early-onset Alzheimer’s disease.

2 May 2019

Study finds no damaging role for microglia during retinal prion disease in mice

National Institutes of Health scientists studying the progression of inherited and infectious eye diseases that can cause blindness have found that microglia, a type of nervous system cell suspected to cause retinal damage, surprisingly had no damaging role during prion disease in mice.

28 Mar 2019

Chronic Wasting Disease may soon spread to humans, warns CDC

Experts are warning that the consumption of deer meat infected with CWD may lead to the disease spreading to humans within the next few years.

20 Feb 2019

"Zombie Deer" disease scare

Chronic wasting disease of the deer or CWD has been nicknamed “Zombie deer disease”. It has been affecting deer across Pennsylvania and has also been noted in Lancaster County.

11 Feb 2019

Experts explore involvement of the gut in Parkinson's disease

There is growing evidence that at least in some patients with Parkinson's disease (PD), the disease may begin in the gut. Writing in a special supplement to the Journal of Parkinson's Disease, experts explore the last two decades of research about the gut-brain axis in PD and look ahead at the possible development and impact of these research areas in the next two decades.

8 Feb 2019

Skin samples hold early signs of prion disease, research suggests

Prions can infect both humans and animals, causing Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in humans, mad cow disease in cattle, and chronic wasting disease in elk and deer. The infectious, misfolded protein particles often go undetected as they destroy brain tissue, causing memory loss, mobility issues, and ultimately death.

23 Jan 2019

Ultrasensitive test detects corrupted protein associated with Alzheimer's and CTE

An ultrasensitive test has been developed that detects a corrupted protein associated with Alzheimer's disease and chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a condition found in athletes, military veterans, and others with a history of repetitive brain trauma.

20 Dec 2018

Alzheimer's could possibly be spread via contaminated neurosurgery

Researchers have found that surgical instruments used for neurosurgery could get contaminated by the altered brain proteins that are seen in Alzheimer’s disease. These instruments are capable of spreading the condition if not treated or decontaminated properly before reuse. The study results were published in the latest issue of the journal Nature.

14 Dec 2018

Study provides new insights into molecular mechanisms underlying role of amyloid in Alzheimer's disease

A UCL-led study has confirmed that some vials of a hormone used in discontinued medical treatments contained seeds of a protein implicated in Alzheimer's disease, and are able to seed amyloid pathology in mice.s

14 Dec 2018

Single tau molecule holds clues to help diagnose neurodegeneration in its earliest stages

Scientists who recently identified the molecular start of Alzheimer's disease have used that finding to determine that it should be possible to forecast which type of dementia will develop over time - a form of personalized medicine for neurodegenerative diseases.

11 Dec 2018

Major soil organic matter compound battles chronic wasting disease

A major compound in soil organic matter degrades chronic wasting disease prions and decreases infectivity in mice, according to a study published November 29 in the open-access journal PLOS Pathogens by Judd Aiken of the University of Alberta, and colleagues.

3 Dec 2018

Study provides new insights into how prions enter the brain

The spread of prions to the brain does not occur by direct transmission across the blood-brain barrier, according to a study published November 29 in the open-access journal PLOS Pathogens by Annika Keller and Adriano Aguzzi of the University Hospital Zürich, and colleagues.

3 Dec 2018