PrPSc (scrapie prion protein)

PrPSc is an abnormal form of a naturally occurring protein called the prion protein (PrP) found in the nervous system. In healthy individuals, PrP helps normal cell functions, but when it changes into PrPSc, it becomes misfolded and infectious. This misfolded protein accumulates in brain tissue, leading to damage and neurodegenerative diseases like scrapie in sheep and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in humans. PrPSc is unique because it can induce normal prion proteins to also misfold, spreading the disease without involving genetic material or pathogens like bacteria or viruses.