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Another Neurodegenerative Disease Linked To a Prion

Posted by samzenpus on from the problem-protein dept.

MTorrice writes: A new study concludes that a brain protein causes the rare, Parkinson's-like disease called multiple systems atrophy (MSA) by acting like a prion, the misbehaving type of protein infamously linked to mad cow disease. The researchers say the results are the most definitive demonstration to date that proteins involved in many neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, exhibit prion-like behavior: They can misfold into shapes that then coax others to do the same, leading to protein aggregation that forms neurotoxic clumps. If these other diseases are caused by prion-like proteins, then scientists could develop treatments that slow or stop disease progression by designing molecules that block prion propagation.

9 of 53 comments (clear)

  1. Too Tired To Read by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    For a moment I thought it read "Another Neurodegenerative Disease Linked to Porn". I was very concerned during that moment.

    1. Re:Too Tired To Read by morgauxo · · Score: 2

      Don't worry, Fapping@Home is hard at work looking for the cure!

  2. Folding@Home by SumDog · · Score: 2

    I wonder how much Folding@Home helped contribute to discovering this.

    1. Re:Folding@Home by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Zero. It was 100% funded by big bad Pharma that you guys all claim to hate.

    2. Re:Folding@Home by PopeRatzo · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Zero. It was 100% funded by big bad Pharma that you guys all claim to hate.

      Wrong. It was funded by the customers of big bad Pharma.

      Remember, all corporate research is ultimately funded by customers. Before you go giving them some humanitarian award. don't forget it's always the customers that pay the bill.

      --
      You are welcome on my lawn.
  3. hah by sociocapitalist · · Score: 3, Funny

    So my grampa was right - too much pron makes you blind!

    --
    blindly antisocialist = antisocial
  4. Re:Don't Prions come from eating Meat? by Applehu+Akbar · · Score: 2

    And vegans will be affected even less. This means that generations from now, all of humanity will be smug, peachy, insufferable feminine hygiene products. When the first PBS signals of this change reach and are interpreted by other intelligent civilizations, they will send a special fleet to wipe us out.

  5. Stanley Pruisner by SecurityGuy · · Score: 4, Insightful

    It's interesting for me to see this guy's name come up. I remember reading a fairly derogatory article about him in Scientific American in the 80s, all but calling him a fraud. Sometimes the "fraud" is proven right. Worth remembering.

    1. Re:Stanley Pruisner by clonehappy · · Score: 2

      Not worth remembering AT ALL. The full force and credit of the mainstream media is NEVER used to discredit people working on projects that might cause embarrassment to the establishment, or worse find simple root-cause explanations for ailments that could have their symptoms managed with expensive drugs. Never, ever. Your example is the one and only time one of these crackpot, terrorist, conspiracy-theorist, tinfoil-hat frauds has ever been proven right.

      sarcasm off

      It's definitely worth remembering, and just think about how many people looking for the truth have been silenced or worse because they went up against the status quo. I wouldn't even be surprised to learn that the SA article from the 80s even had some form of the verbiage "the science is settled".