prion research

Prion research focuses on studying prions, which are misfolded proteins that can cause neurodegenerative diseases like mad cow disease in cattle and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in humans. Unlike bacteria or viruses, prions replicate by inducing normal proteins to misfold, leading to brain damage. Research aims to understand how prions spread, their effects on the nervous system, and ways to diagnose or prevent related diseases. This field is crucial because prion diseases are progressive, fatal, and resistant to conventional treatments, raising important questions about human and animal health and food safety.