Prion diseases
Definition
Prion diseases are a class of degenerative central nervous system disorders. They are unique in that while a genetic component of the syndrome exists, prion diseases may also be transmitted, and the infectious agent of the disease is a protein. Dr. Stanley Prusiner coined the term "prion," meaning "proteinaceous infectious particle," in 1982. Dr. Prusiner's controversial, but finally accepted, research in the area of prion diseases led to his winning the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1997.
Description
As of early 2001, there are five forms of prion disease known to occur in humans: kuru, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD), Gertsmann-Straussler-Scheinker disease (GSS), fatal familial insomnia (FFI), and new variant Creutzfeld-Jakob disease, popularly known as "mad cow disease." The prion...
[The entire page is 3103 words long]
Join eNotes
Over 3,500 study guides, question and answer forums, literature criticism, reference content, and much more!
