Prion News and Research

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New insight on mechanism of prions brings hope for treating neurodegenerative diseases

Prions are a class of misfolded proteins that form aggregates called "amyloid fibrils." These aggregates are the main culprit behind severe mammalian neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's.

7 Apr 2020

Tracking tau protein yields insight into possible treatments for neurodegenerative diseases

In the fight against neurodegenerative diseases such as frontotemporal dementia, Alzheimer's and Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, the tau protein is a major culprit.

1 Apr 2020

DNA-modulated liquid droplets may explain how prion proteins clump

Researchers at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, in Brazil, have identified that the interaction between prion proteins and DNA may be behind the formation of protein amyloid aggregates and of the emergence of neurodegenerative diseases such as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and other spongiform encephalopathies.

22 Nov 2019

Game-changing diagnostic test for prion diseases

Researchers have developed an effective way of testing for prion diseases, a group of fatal neurodegenerative illnesses caused by abnormally folded proteins.

8 Nov 2019

Top organizations announce awards for emerging leaders in brain health and dementia

To address the growing worldwide public health crisis due to dementia, the prevalence of which is expected to triple worldwide to 152 million by 2050, three leading organizations announced this year's Pilot Awards for Global Brain Health Leaders.

8 Nov 2019

Household bleach decontaminates stainless steel wires coated with CWD prions

A 5-minute soak in a 40% solution of household bleach decontaminated stainless steel wires coated with chronic wasting disease (CWD) prions, according to a new study by National Institutes of Health scientists.

5 Oct 2019

New NIH grant to support innovative skin testing approach for diagnosing Parkinson's disease

Wenquan Zou, MD, PhD, an expert in degenerative neurological diseases, along with his collaborators Shu G. Chen, PhD also from the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Jiyan Ma, MD, PhD, from Van Andel Institute in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and Thomas Beach, MD, PhD, from Banner Sun Health Research Institute, Sun City, Arizona, have received a five-year, $3.6 million grant from the National Institutes of Health for diagnosing Parkinson's disease (PD) via an innovative skin testing approach.

4 Oct 2019

Scientist wins two-year grant for diagnosis of Alzheimer's, Parkinson's via innovative skin test

Wenquan Zou, MD, PhD, an expert in prion and degenerative neurological diseases, has received a two-year grant for developing diagnostic tools for Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and other related brain-based degenerative disorders via an innovative skin test that uses ultrasensitive technology.

2 Aug 2019

Prion disease in mice treated successfully with antisense oligonucleotides

Prion proteins are known to cause scrapie – a neurodegenerative condition. It is capable of debilitating damage to the nervous system. Researchers have successfully devised a treatment for this condition which prolonged the lives of the lab mice infected with the prions.

1 Aug 2019

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