Abstract

PRION DISEASES IN HUMAN: UNDERSTANDING AND FIGHTING BACK

Debosree Ghosh* and Pratap Parida

Abstract

Prions are smallest infectious particles. They are protein in nature and possess ability to reproduce by their own. Prions cause various types of diseases in animals including human beings. Accumulation of misfolded proteins in brain causes different types of neurodegenerative diseases. Prions are considered one among those disease causing misfolded proteins. Besides, prions can multiply. In 1982 the term “prion” was coined by Dr. Stanley Prusiner and he won the Nobel Prize in Medicine and Physiology in 1997. Prions are responsible for causing diseases like Classic CJD or Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, Kuru, Fatal Familial Insomnia, Gerstmann–Straussler–Scheinker disease, in humans. Prions are only proteins, they are not alive .It is not possible to kill already not living entities like prion. Search for ways or drugs to destroy dangerous prions are in search around the globe. We need a better understanding of prions, their nature, molecular mechanism of prion infection and transmission and pathophysiology of prion diseases in order to strengthen and win against the deadly prions.

Keywords: Prion, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, Kuru, Fatal Familial Insomnia, Gerstmann– Straussler–Scheinker disease, pathophysiology.