Essay about The Possible Mechanisms of Scrapie Contraction

Out of the many forms of infectious agents, one that seemingly defies the central dogma of biology is the prion. These types of diseases are created when an otherwise suitable protein is altered in a prion like domain, becomes misfolded, and begins contorting other specimens of the same protein to this misfolded shape resulting in what’s known as an amyloid fiber. This entire replication process does not require DNA, simply more of the non-mutated protein. Recent studies focusing on mutations identified in two heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleicprotiens, hnRNPA2B1 and hnRNPA1, have shown to produce cytoplasmic inclusions. This causes mass degradation of muscle tissues and structures throughout the human body known as multisystem

Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease: It happens when a prion protein misfolds itself, thus causing a “domino effect” which unfolds itself causing a malfunction.

Proteinaceous Infectious Particles, commonly known as Prions, are extremely rare misfolds of the protein PrPc, which cause fatally neurodegenerative diseases, and are theorized to be infectious only by the protein itself (U.S National Library of Medicine, 1998). This “protein-only theory” is still heavily debated today, as some scientists deny the theory, and there isn’t a significant amount of evidence on each side to qualify the theory or disprove it (Soto, C. 2011). The base “Prion” protein is encoded in the gene PRNP, while being non-infectious. Prions are most commonly found in human prion diseases, but they can also be in other animals in the form of Mad Cow Disease and Chronic Wasting Disease, classified as Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathies

It was a challenge for researchers to find a cure because of how new these strands were, and there was also pressure to find these cures soon due to how fast this virus could have, and in some cases did, move through populations. Shortly after his expedition to Kitum Cave, Gene Johnson says this quote from Louis Pasteur, a 19th century microbiologist, “Chance favors the prepared mind.” This quotation applied to the situation because those who knew how to handle this virus ended up being far more successful than those with no experience. Therefore, the author aims to point out that those who treated the virus with ignorance had created danger by approaching their situations with carelessness, which ultimately leads to

the fact that there was little significant evidence to study the virus, most victims were now buried

virus, bacteria, or parasite that has ever existed on this planet, we have the very real possibility of

But before those studies could be carried out, and before widespread use of maggot therapy was imaginable, several technical challenges first had to be overcome.

One of the most complex and unexplored disease causing agents are viruses. They are known to be able to infect a wide array of organisms, from plants and animals, to bacteria and fungi. Essentially, anything that is living is capable of being infected with a virus. Once the host's cell is infected, the viruses' goal is to produce more viruses which will infect neighboring cells to continue the cycle.

This disease gets its name from the German neurologist Hans Gerhard Creutzfeldt and Alfons Maria Jakob that first identified this disease. (Victor, 2015) VCJD is primarily found in the brain of the cattle. Abnormal proteins called prions have thought to be the cause of this disease in both cattle and in humans. These prions cause tiny holes that look like a sponge under a microscope. (Melissa Conrad Stöppler, 2015) Unlike most viruses and bacteria these prions unfortunately do not die when exposed to heat, ultraviolet light, and radiation. Disinfectants that are usually used to kill viruses and bacteria also do not work to kill prions. Even cooking the meat very well will not lower the risk of prions in the

I frantically scanned the pages of the investigation, to find the genetic mutation in the killer virus that was quickly causing the most devastating pandemic in human history. It was imperative to find the genetic mutation, because it was that gene which allowed the virus to impersonate its host’s domestic cells, making any treatment virtually impossible.

In the beginning, they thought that the practice of cannibalism was the reason for this disease. After many years of study and research they learned that was so. Michael Alper, Carlton Gajdusek, and Shirley Linderbaum were directly involved and responsible for discovering the source, mapping its progression, and finding the first victim of Kuru. Through their Study and research Linderbaum determined that the first person afflicted in this tribe was back in the early 1900. Alper figured out that it was being transmitted through the mortuary eating of the brain in particular and Gajdusek and the others discerned that Scrapie, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and Kuru the way they transmitted were closely related and they believe that the first person came down with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease which is a spontaneous change in the brain, they died and were consumed. They proved that it was transmittable from humans to primates and from animals to humans. Later, Biochemist Stanley Prusiner gave the named a new pathogen in over 100 years, Prion, a protein that duplicates itself by recruiting other protein replicating itself and infecting the brain, organs and vascular system. What made this pathogen special and very different was that it has no know antibodies, it was incredibly small nearly 1000 times smaller than any infecting

Specialists are not certain what causes distraught bovine ailment or vCJD. The main hypothesis is that the ailment is brought on by irresistible proteins called prions. In influenced dairy animals, these proteins are found in the cerebrum, spinal string, and small digestive tract. There is no confirmation that prions are found in muscle meat, (for example, steak) or in milk. At the point when a cow is butchered, parts of it are utilized for human nourishment and different parts are utilized as a part of creature food. On the off

Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) are neurodegenerative diseases that are thought to be caused by the misfolding of prion proteins. Prions are able to replicate in the absence of nucleic acids. TSEs include: scrapie, bovine spongiform encephalopathy, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, kuru, Gerstmann-Straussler-Scheinker disease, and Fatal Familial Insomnia. They can affect many different animals, including humans. Currently, there are no ways to diagnose, treat, or cure TSEs, as much more research is needed before these diseases are completely understood.

Prion diseases or transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) are fatal neurodegenerative disorders (Jeong and Kim, 2014). These are diseases which affect the nervous system, in particular the brain across many species. They are transmitted via prions. Prions are essentially proteins which like many proteins

the ones that cause the well known “ mad cow ” disesase in Britain and “scrapie”