How to Treat Prion Diseases Essay -- Medical Disease

How to Treat Prion DiseasesAbstractScientists are stumped as to the organic evolution and nature of proteinaceous infectious particles. Neither virus nor bacteria, these prions, are believed to fare transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSE), rare diseases said to be 100% fatal, without possessing nucleic acids. Their unhindered evolution is thought to be the cause for bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), or pale Cow Disease, Creutzfeldt-Jakob (CJD), scrapie and other TSE, diseases characterized by the brain microscopically turning into sponge-like matter. there are no cures or effective treatments available today because drawbacks incessantly prevent the development of efficient therapy. Studies continue to slowly progress, hoping to find methods to immunize against more prion diseases.ProblemNo one presently has a unbendable understanding as to why TSE, or prion diseases, occur. The simple explanation is that PrP(c), the regular isoform of the prion protein, is for ced to fold into PrPSc, the other pathological isoform, causing the misfolded PrP(c) to acquire protease-resistance. As to a physical presentation, a clumped protein consisting primarily of alpha-helices (spirals) is converted into one consisting primarily of beta-sheets (sets of pleated hairpins). In an essence, alpha-helical content decreases while beta-sheet content increases. The newly converted protein and then possesses the same characteristics as those of the native PrPSc (Korth, Streit, & Oesch, 1999).PrPSc acquires partial protease resistance upon the novelty and passes this resistance along to the naturally protease-sensitive PrP(c). Protease is an enzyme that breaks down proteins or peptides, deeming the protease-sensitive proteins dissoluble so during ... ...r to the fatal TSE.8b10ReferencesBainbridge, J., Jones, N., & Walker, B. (2004, May 12). Multiple antigenic peptides serve generation of anti-prion antibodies. Retrieved July 26, 2008, from http//www.pubmedcentr al.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=1809119Graham, S. (2002, July 30). Common Antibiotic Saps Prions Strength. Retrieved July 24, 2008, from http//www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=common-antibiotic-saps-prKorth, C., Streit, P., & Oesch, B. (1999). Monoclonal Antibodies Specific for the Native, Disease-Associated Isoform of the Prion Protein. Methods in ENZYMOLOGY , 309, 106-122 .Soto, C. (2006). Prions The unused Biology of Proteins. Taylor & Francis Group CRC Press.Wong, K. (2001, August 14). Old Drugs Show New visit in Combating Prion Diseases. Retrieved July 24, 2008, from http//www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=old-drugs-show-new-promis