3 ms·
Misfolded proteins also cause Alzheimer's disease. They are the number one reason why cannibalism is bad. If you eat a human brain with misfolded human proteins
by ff7c11 11y ago
Misfolded proteins also cause Alzheimer's disease. They are the number one reason why cannibalism is bad. If you eat a human brain with misfolded human proteins (prions) it can cause your proteins to misfold. I think.
- snewk 11y agoYes, misfolded prion proteins(PrPsc) can 'infect' other correctly folded prion proteins(PrPc). Prions are glycoproteins found on the surface of cells, and they affect cell signaling from the exterior of a cell to the interior. Insulin, on the other hand, is a free floating small molecule not anchored to a cell. Misfolded insulin is not 'infectious' like PrPsc. The biological role of prions is still not well known, but one reason prion diseases are such a big deal is that prions are resistant to normal biological protein degredation. They are hard buggers to get rid of. Unlike insulin, which has a specific protease enzyme which breaks it down.