Skip to main content
Back

Prions definitions

Control buttons has been changed to "navigation" mode.
1/15
  • Prion
    A misfolded protein acting as an infectious agent, capable of inducing misfolding in normal proteins, leading to neurodegenerative diseases.
  • Proteinaceous Infectious Agent
    A disease-causing entity composed solely of misfolded proteins, lacking nucleic acids and cellular structure.
  • Acellular Parasite
    An infectious agent that lacks cellular structure and relies entirely on host cells for propagation.
  • Obligate Intracellular Parasite
    An entity that must reside within a host cell to replicate and exert its pathogenic effects.
  • Neurodegenerative Disease
    A disorder characterized by progressive loss of neural function, often associated with protein misfolding and aggregation.
  • Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy
    A group of diseases marked by brain tissue deterioration and sponge-like holes, caused by prion accumulation.
  • Spongiform Lesion
    A region in brain tissue exhibiting holes and gaps, resulting in a sponge-like appearance due to prion aggregation.
  • Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease
    A human prion disease causing rapid neurodegeneration and spongiform changes in brain tissue.
  • Kuru
    A human prion disease historically linked to ritualistic cannibalism, resulting in neurological decline.
  • Scrapie
    An animal prion disease affecting sheep, characterized by prion accumulation and spongiform brain lesions.
  • Mad Cow Syndrome
    A prion disease in cattle, also known as bovine spongiform encephalopathy, causing brain degeneration.
  • Chronic Wasting Disease
    A prion disease affecting deer and elk, leading to progressive neurological symptoms and weight loss.
  • PrPC
    The normal cellular prion protein with proper folding and function, susceptible to conversion by misfolded prions.
  • PrPSc
    The misfolded, disease-causing prion protein form, responsible for inducing misfolding in normal proteins.
  • Aggregation
    The process by which misfolded prion proteins clump together in neural tissue, contributing to disease pathology.