Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

A prion primer

N R Cashman1

  • 1Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Que. mdnc@musica.mcgill.ca

CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association Journal = Journal De L'Association Medicale Canadienne
|November 26, 1997
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Prions are infectious agents that differ from microbes, as they are encoded by protein changes, not genetic sequences. Emerging prion diseases and transmission risks from biologicals are significant global health concerns.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

The prion-like nature of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Progress in molecular biology and translational science·2020
Same author

Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease mortality in Canada, 1998 to 2013.

Canada communicable disease report = Releve des maladies transmissibles au Canada·2018
Same author

Propagated protein misfolding: New opportunities for therapeutics, new public health risk.

Canada communicable disease report = Releve des maladies transmissibles au Canada·2018
Same author

Pathophysiology and diagnosis of post-polio syndrome.

NeuroRehabilitation·2014
Same author

Gerstmann-Straussler-Scheinker disease due to a novel prion protein gene mutation.

Neurology·2011
Same author

Accessibility of a critical prion protein region involved in strain recognition and its implications for the early detection of prions.

Cellular and molecular life sciences : CMLS·2008
Same journal

Rheumatoid synovitis of the elbow mimicking rheumatoid nodule.

CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association journal = journal de l'Association medicale canadienne·2026
Same journal

CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association journal = journal de l'Association medicale canadienne·2026
Same journal

What pool closures in Canada mean for health.

CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association journal = journal de l'Association medicale canadienne·2026
Same journal

Fatal rabies in a child.

CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association journal = journal de l'Association medicale canadienne·2026
Same journal

CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association journal = journal de l'Association medicale canadienne·2026
Same journal

Otitis externa.

CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association journal = journal de l'Association medicale canadienne·2026
See all related articles

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • Prions are unique infectious agents characterized by conformational protein changes, distinct from conventional microbial pathogens.
  • The emergence of bovine spongiform encephalopathy and new variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease highlights the evolving landscape of prion diseases.
  • Concerns regarding prion disease transmission through blood products and biologicals necessitate ongoing research and surveillance.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To summarize the current understanding of prions as infectious agents.
  • To highlight the distinct molecular mechanisms underlying prion formation.
  • To address the implications of newly emerged prion diseases and their transmission risks.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing scientific literature on prions and prion diseases.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Analysis of the biological and medical criteria defining prions.
  • Examination of the epidemiological data concerning emerging prion diseases.

    • Main Results:

    • Prions are infectious agents distinguished by protein conformational alterations, lacking nucleic acid or amino acid sequence encoding.
    • Bovine spongiform encephalopathy and new variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease represent recent epidemic outbreaks.
    • The potential for prion disease transmission via blood products and biologicals is a critical area of global health focus.

    Conclusions:

    • Significant advancements have been made in understanding prions and associated diseases.
    • Further research is crucial to fully elucidate prion biology and mitigate transmission risks.
    • Continued surveillance and investigation are essential for managing the threat of prion diseases.