4 ms·

CJD is the more common prion disease in humans and arguably even more terrifying. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creutzfeldt–Jakob_disease https://en.wikipedia.

CJD is the more common prion disease in humans and arguably even more terrifying. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creutzfeldt–Jakob_disease https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creutzfeldt–Jakob_disease

Sir_Vival 8y ago
Not so fun fact - the medication HCG is derived from human urine and can possibly pass CJD on. There is no warning on the label, and since CJD takes 20-30 years to kill you once infected we don't really know yet if it's a problem or not. And I took it for years.
- scottlocklin 8y ago
  Somehow I had assumed such things were produced using recombinant DNA, but I guess only one brand does it this way. I'm kind of mind boggled at the concept of pregnant women selling their urine to medical companies. How does this work?
  - mftrhu 8y ago
    Both Progynon and Emmenin, the first forms of estrogen used (1928-29), were extracted from the urine of pregnant women. The material for Progynon was initially collected in a Berlin's clinic by Shering [1], and the urine needed for Emmenin was presumably sourced through similar channels. [2] mentions how the supply was scarce, as only women in low-income groups were interested in collecting it, and only while other sources of income were not available. By 1941-1942 they had moved away from human urine to PREgnant MARe urINe, and Premarin was born. [1] https://books.google.it/books?id=Z3iTsU6_mHsC&pg=PA119&redir_esc=y https://books.google.it/books?id=Z3iTsU6_mHsC&pg=PA119&redir... [2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1661006/?page=2 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1661006/?page=2
- philjohn 8y ago
  Similar and just as scary - tainted blood products taken by haemophiliacs leading to countless HIV infections, and plenty of deaths from AIDS.
  - LyndsySimon 8y ago
    We also seem to be coming to the realization in the last few years that HPV is likely spread through the sterilization and re-use of gynecological equipment.
    - philjohn 7y ago
      Prion diseases as well - they can survive an autoclave.

CJD is the more common prion disease in humans and arguably even more terrifying. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creutzfeldt–Jakob_disease https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creutzfeldt–Jakob_disease

Sir_Vival 8y ago

Not so fun fact - the medication HCG is derived from human urine and can possibly pass CJD on. There is no warning on the label, and since CJD takes 20-30 years to kill you once infected we don't really know yet if it's a problem or not. And I took it for years.

scottlocklin 8y ago
Somehow I had assumed such things were produced using recombinant DNA, but I guess only one brand does it this way. I'm kind of mind boggled at the concept of pregnant women selling their urine to medical companies. How does this work?
- mftrhu 8y ago
  Both Progynon and Emmenin, the first forms of estrogen used (1928-29), were extracted from the urine of pregnant women. The material for Progynon was initially collected in a Berlin's clinic by Shering [1], and the urine needed for Emmenin was presumably sourced through similar channels. [2] mentions how the supply was scarce, as only women in low-income groups were interested in collecting it, and only while other sources of income were not available. By 1941-1942 they had moved away from human urine to PREgnant MARe urINe, and Premarin was born. [1] https://books.google.it/books?id=Z3iTsU6_mHsC&pg=PA119&redir_esc=y https://books.google.it/books?id=Z3iTsU6_mHsC&pg=PA119&redir... [2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1661006/?page=2 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1661006/?page=2
philjohn 8y ago
Similar and just as scary - tainted blood products taken by haemophiliacs leading to countless HIV infections, and plenty of deaths from AIDS.
- LyndsySimon 8y ago
  We also seem to be coming to the realization in the last few years that HPV is likely spread through the sterilization and re-use of gynecological equipment.
  - philjohn 7y ago
    Prion diseases as well - they can survive an autoclave.