Prions
WHAT ARE PRIONS?
ARE THERE CURES?
Prions are unprecedented particles of protein that are infectious and can reproduces by themselves. Although they can reproduce, once they infect a host, they tend to ignore expanding and just attack its brain structure by taking over normal proteins and replacing them; this causes progressive neurodegenerative conditions. The two most notable diseases are:
There are two types of prions.
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"sen"sitive to being broken down
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made by healthy cells
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present mainly in the neurons of the brain, but can also be in other cell types
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may be involved in: communication between neurons, cell death, and controlling sleep patterns
As of now, there are no cures to the diseases that arise from prion infections. Efforts are conducted towards finding cures for diseases caused by prion proteins, however, results of testing on animals or humans may be fatal. (T-69)
PRP-SEN VS. PRP-RES
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"res"istant to being broken down
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once it converted, cannot be healthy again
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cause cell death and creates holes in tissues