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Neurosurgery Could Spread Protein Linked To Alzheimer's, Study Finds (theguardian.com)

Posted by BeauHD on from the safety-first dept.

An anonymous reader quotes a report from The Guardian: Surgical instruments used in brain operations should be treated to ensure they are not contaminated with proteins linked to Alzheimer's disease, according to scientists who found evidence that they may be spread by certain medical procedures. The researchers urged doctors to decontaminate neurosurgical tools more thoroughly as a precautionary measure to reduce the potential risk of spreading abnormal proteins known to build up in the brains of Alzheimer's patients. Prof John Collinge, director of the Medical Research Council prion unit at University College London, said that while Alzheimer's disease was not contagious, there was a slim risk that harmful proteins that drive the disease could spread through brain surgery and other rare procedures.

5 of 63 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Protein? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Informative

    They're suggesting that Alzheimer's spreads like a prion disease once started.

  2. Deja Vu by phaserbanks · · Score: 3, Informative

    Almost identical Guardian article from 2015.

    https://www.theguardian.com/sc...

  3. Re:Protein? by msauve · · Score: 4, Informative

    "When they say this protein could be "spread", is it like a bacteria or virus?"

    Google "prion".

    --
    "National Security is the chief cause of national insecurity." - Celine's First Law
  4. Re:How clean is clean enough for brain surgery? by dex22 · · Score: 4, Informative

    The problem with your statement is that prions survive autoclaving and generally require incineration at temps exceeding the melting point of most surgical metals.

  5. Re:Protein? by ShanghaiBill · · Score: 3, Informative

    Prions are misfolded proteins that appear to catalyse other proteins to misfold in a chain reaction. "Mad Cow Disease" and CJD (mad cow disease for humans) are the most well known types. It is not clear if Alzheimer's is caused by, or related to prions, but that is one hypothesis.

    The point of TFA is that normal sterilization techniques such as heat, alcohol, or chlorine bleach, work fine on bacteria and viruses, but may not destroy prions. Proteins can be much tougher than DNA. We may need to use higher heat and/or harsher chemicals.

    Here is a joke my daughter told me after she had a big fight with her boyfriend:
    Her: Why don't men get mad cow disease?
    My: Why?
    Her: Because they're pigs.