The Prion Concept

Prions are infectious proteins that differ from bacteria or viruses because they contain no DNA or RNA. They cause disease by misfolding normal proteins in the brain into abnormal forms, which then accumulate and damage brain tissue. This process leads to serious neurological conditions, such as mad cow disease or Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Prions are remarkably resistant to heat, radiation, and standard sterilization, making them difficult to eliminate. Essentially, prions are rogue proteins that propagate by transforming healthy proteins into infectious ones, disrupting normal brain function in the process.