3 ms·

This new treatment disables a gene that creates prions. It doesn't help you against prions from the environment.

• amluto 2y ago
  If the treatment works, it should work against acquired prions. Acquired prions are dangerous because even a minute amount that makes it to susceptible tissue (the brain) can convert endogenous prion protein to the dangerous, misfolded form. If the treatment successfully turns off production of endogenous prion protein, then there won’t be any there to convert, and the disease (theoretically) won’t progress, and there’s some reason to believe that it might even reverse itself to at least some extent.
  • Enginerrrd 2y ago
    >If the treatment successfully turns off production of endogenous prion protein, then there won’t be any there to convert, and the disease (theoretically) won’t progress Yeah that's true, but given how ubiquitous PRNP is in mammals, this could also produce some form of memory, cognitive, or other deficit.
  • Thorrez 2y ago
    Hmm, interesting. I wonder why the article doesn't mention that possibility.