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Neurosurgery Could Spread Protein Linked To Alzheimer's, Study Finds (theguardian.com)
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.
They're suggesting that Alzheimer's spreads like a prion disease once started.
This has been an issue for years since the recognition of Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease as a prion disease. Hospitals are more and more moving to disposable equipment, although this is not yet possible for neurosurgical instruments. Special cleaning procedures are already in place for surgeries having a high risk of contamination.
Almost identical Guardian article from 2015.
https://www.theguardian.com/sc...
Not sure why they left out the more ominous method by which these proteins can spread: eye surgery. Eye surgery is fairly common and not normally associated with such grave dangers. Those affected by these proteins (they are called 'prions'), invariably have them living in optical neural tissues. Surgeons, who may schedule multiple operations per day, need to find a better way to sterilize their instruments as the proteins are resistant to normal techniques. These discoveries seem to be new for some reason.
This has been my first opportunity to use the word 'pernicious', an exquisite word that has somehow escaped my notice until today. Thank you, dear Slashdot readers, for allowing me this occasion.
...omphaloskepsis often...
"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
The problem with your statement is that prions survive autoclaving and generally require incineration at temps exceeding the melting point of most surgical metals.
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.
That implies that women are cows, though.
"It's such a fine line between stupid and clever" -- David St. Hubbins, Spinal Tap