3 ms·

Passive immunization might indeed be a feasible option, but of course requires timely detection.

• gumby 8y ago
  Couldn't we immunize before exposure as we do with, say polio, TB, influenza et al? Then no detection would be needed. Or are the abnormal prions in CJD and the like not uniform enough for general prophylaxis? I really have a naive understanding of immunotherapy, so sorry if my question is dumb.
  • Nasrudith 8y ago
    Whatever it is isn't that simple given that CJD is just a standard of care. I'm more an enthusiastic dabbler who occasionally checks if I could have been capable technically than an expert admittedly. I did some more cursory research. Interestingly I was half-wrong about the immune system - while I was right about it not being equipped to stop it can do something. Monoclonal antibody treatments delay it. However another problem is that the body's own proteins which are deformed into prions aren't recognized as foreign bodies. Given that notes mention that mice vaccines only delay the onset along with monoclonal antibody treatments. Some sources seem to indicate that it only blocks prions from deforming as opposed to eliminating combined with the fact that native proteins will keep on cascading. I wonder how much processing power would be required just to get a candidate 'prion grabber' - never mind going through ones which won't turn out to be horrifyingly toxic in other ways. Here are a few sources I skimmed I would be glad to know where I went wrong. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/233941323_Immunotherapy_in_prion_disease https://www.researchgate.net/publication/233941323_Immunothe... https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2063508/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2063508/