PrP (Prion Protein)

PrP, or prion protein, is a type of protein found in the brain and other tissues of many animals, including humans. Under normal conditions, it helps with cellular functions, but when it misfolds into an abnormal shape, it can become infectious. This misfolded version causes other normal PrP proteins to also misfold, leading to brain damage and diseases like Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Prion diseases are rare but severe, as they are progressive and currently incurable. The study of PrP helps scientists understand these diseases and their mechanisms of transmission.