Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Amyloid Fibrils

Amyloid Fibrils

Amyloid fibrils are aggregates of misfolded proteins. Under most circumstances, misfolded proteins are either refolded by chaperone proteins or degraded by the proteasome. However, in the case of a mutation or a disease, these proteins can accumulate to form large clusters and often further assemble to form elongated fibers, called fibrils.
Amyloid deposits were observed as early as 1639 in the liver and the spleen. In 1854, Rudolph Virchow performed iodine staining, normally used to...

Amyloid Fibrils

Amyloid Fibrils

Amyloid fibrils are aggregates of misfolded proteins. Under most circumstances, misfolded proteins are either refolded by chaperone proteins or degraded by the proteasome. However, in the case of a mutation or a disease, these proteins can accumulate to form large clusters and often further assemble to form elongated fibers, called fibrils.
Amyloid deposits were observed as early as 1639 in the liver and the spleen. In 1854, Rudolph Virchow performed iodine staining, normally used to...

Subviral Agents

Subviral Agents

Subviral agents are infectious entities that resemble viruses but lack one or more viral components, such as a capsid or essential replication machinery. These agents include viroids, prions, and satellites, each possessing distinct structural and functional characteristics that influence their mode of infection and replication.Viroids are the simplest subviral agents, consisting of circular, single-stranded RNA molecules without a protein coat. They exclusively infect plants, relying entirely...

Huntington Disease l: Introduction

Huntington Disease l: Introduction

Huntington disease or HD is a progressive, fatal neurodegenerative disorder inherited in an autosomal dominant pattern.PathophysiologyIt is caused by expansion of the CAG trinucleotide repeat in the HTT gene on chromosome 4 (4p16.3), producing an abnormal huntingtin protein with an expanded polyglutamine tract. This misfolded protein disrupts cellular function, leading to neuronal death. Normal alleles have ≤26 repeats, 27–35 are intermediate (risk of expansion), 36–39 show reduced penetrance,...

Encephalitis l: Introduction

Encephalitis l: Introduction

Encephalitis is inflammation of the brain parenchyma, most often due to infections or autoimmune processes. It presents with neuropsychiatric features such as fever, altered mental status, behavioral changes, cognitive dysfunction, seizures, focal deficits, and sometimes autonomic instability. In some cases, the meninges are also involved, resulting in meningoencephalitis.Infectious CausesInfectious encephalitis is most commonly viral but can also result from bacterial, fungal, or parasitic...

Encephalitis ll: Pathophysiology

Encephalitis ll: Pathophysiology

Encephalitis is inflammation of the brain parenchyma caused by direct viral invasion or immune-mediated mechanisms triggered by infections or tumors. Both processes lead to neuronal injury, disrupted neurotransmission, and diverse neurological symptoms, often with overlapping clinical and pathological features.Autoimmune EncephalitisIn autoimmune encephalitis, antibodies target neuronal antigens on cell surfaces, synapses, or within neurons. A key example is anti-NMDAR encephalitis, which can...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Ease of Use, Ease of Learning, and Convenience of the CagriSema Dual-Chamber Pen: Results From a Usability Study in Adults With Overweight, Obesity, or Type 2 Diabetes.

Journal of diabetes science and technology·2026

Same author

Predicting late radiation-associated neurocognitive and endocrine toxicity in patients with brain tumors.

Journal of neuro-oncology·2026

Same author

Placenta Percreta Treated by Uterine Artery Embolization, with Fatal Outcome: A Case Report.

Journal of vascular and interventional radiology : JVIR·2026

Same author

In memoriam of Pawel P. Liberski (1954-2025).

Prion·2026

Same author

Expectation as a Risk for Covid-19-Related Olfactory Changes: Observations From the California Farmworkers Health Survey.

Risk analysis : an official publication of the Society for Risk Analysis·2026

Same author

Long-term tumor control after Gamma Knife radiosurgery for sporadic vestibular schwannoma.

Journal of neurosurgery·2026

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 24, 2026

Real-time Quaking-induced Conversion Assay for Detection of CWD Prions in Fecal Material

Real-time Quaking-induced Conversion Assay for Detection of CWD Prions in Fecal Material

Published on: September 29, 2017

Kuru: the first prion disease.

Paweł P Liberski¹, Beata Sikorska, Paul Brown

¹Department of Molecular Pathology and Neuropathology, Medical University Lodz, Lodz, Poland. ppliber@csk.am.lodz.pl

Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology

|March 14, 2012

Summary

Kuru disease, a fatal neurodegenerative condition, was transmitted to chimpanzees, classifying it as a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE). This research linked ritualistic cannibalism to the spread of this human prion disease.

More Related Videos

Prion Safety Laboratory Swipe Test

Prion Safety Laboratory Swipe Test

Published on: February 14, 2025

Procedures for Identifying Infectious Prions After Passage Through the Digestive System of an Avian Species

Procedures for Identifying Infectious Prions After Passage Through the Digestive System of an Avian Species

Published on: November 6, 2013

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 24, 2026

Real-time Quaking-induced Conversion Assay for Detection of CWD Prions in Fecal Material

Real-time Quaking-induced Conversion Assay for Detection of CWD Prions in Fecal Material

Published on: September 29, 2017

Prion Safety Laboratory Swipe Test

Prion Safety Laboratory Swipe Test

Published on: February 14, 2025

Procedures for Identifying Infectious Prions After Passage Through the Digestive System of an Avian Species

Procedures for Identifying Infectious Prions After Passage Through the Digestive System of an Avian Species

Published on: November 6, 2013

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Pathology
Epidemiology

Background:

Kuru disease, reported in Papua New Guinea, is a fatal neurodegenerative disorder.
The Fore people's language defines "kuru" as shivering from fever and cold.
Ritualistic cannibalism was identified as the transmission route.

Observation:

D. Carleton Gajdusek demonstrated kuru's transmissibility to chimpanzees.
Kuru was classified as a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE), also known as slow unconventional virus disease.
The disease presents as invariably fatal cerebellar ataxia with tremors and involuntary movements.

Findings:

Kuru is neuropathologically characterized by the presence of amyloid "kuru" plaques.
The study established a link between ritualistic cannibalism and the transmission of kuru.
Gajdusek's work classified kuru as a TSE, a significant advancement in understanding prion diseases.

Implications:

This research advanced the understanding of human prion diseases and their transmission mechanisms.
The classification of kuru as a TSE opened new avenues for research into neurodegenerative disorders.
Understanding the epidemiological factors of kuru provided insights into disease spread within isolated populations.