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Artificial Prion Created
jabberjaw writes "Nature is reporting that researchers at the University of California San Diego have created a synthetic prion which, when injected into mice will bring about symptoms similar to those displayed by cattle suffering from bovine spongiform encephalopathy, aka mad cow disease. The researchers first crafted healthy prion proteins using bacteria. They then shook these proteins until they resembled the tangled structure of an unhealthy prion. Afterwords, these prions were injected into the brains of mice who fell ill two years later. Perhaps someone who is more familiar with this field of research would care to fill us in on the details as the article was rather light."
We gave mice mad cow disease! Yay!
:)
This is the first step, I'm sure, to giving it to politicians.
On perhaps a bit more serious of a note, what does this do for us? Is this highlighting that we now know HOW the disease is created, so we can start developing a cure? Or am I wrong. Again.
Mod me down with all of your hatred and your journey towards the dark side will be complete!
Don't eat the beef that comes from those experimental mice.
they should get an award just for keeping mice alive for two years. When I was a kid my pet mice lasted like two months and I kept good care of them too. I'm not as interested in the mad cow/mice disease as I am in the mouse longevity.
Great, now we have yet another form of weapon of mass destruction.
Artificial prions are chemical weapons, just like VX, sarin, and other nerve agents. Unlike nuclear weapons, chemical weapons are technically not weapons of mass destruction because only a nuclear reaction can destroy mass.
The analogy I like to use is that prions are the protein version of "The Living Dead". One zombie protein will convert any healthy proteins it comes into contact with, those newly created zombie proteins will convert other ones, etc., until there aren't any healthy proteins left. It doesn't hurt that the analogy involves brains...
Very thanks for the explanation! Now I have a really scientific reason to avoid dancing, action sports and other non-geek activities: shaking is so dangerous to mental health...
There you are, staring at me again.
Actually, prions are more like reality television. Normally, you have regular functioning TV shows being produced constantly by your big networks. However, the introduction of reality TV is dangerous because, due to its very low cost of production (you don't have to pay your actors anymore, since they are now "contestants"), it starts changing every other show on TV into a reality TV show. Over time, these reality shows aggregate throughout prime-time until eventually you have nothing but a hideous brain-destroying mass of crap.
The only reason I clicked through to the comments is because I thought the headline said, "Artificial Pron Created"
I've seen worse ways to die than CJD. Yes, I read Stile Project and Consumption Junction.
Fascism trolls keeping me up every night. When I starts a preachin', he HITS ME WITH HIS REICH!
>> You know what? There's a medical name for that. It's called "Paranoia".
;p
There are treatments for paranoia, but I know the world government is keeping the best of them hidden from us...
It doesn't hurt to be nice.
I have done some personal MDMA neurotoxicity experiments which have demonstrated that it gets me incredibly high. And my jaw hurts the next day.