Why I think Prion Diseases are Fascinating

Thermo Fisher Scientific

I enjoy going down wormholes on a multitude of things, such as movie plots and their starring actors, conspiracy theories and their origins, and diseases and their histories. Going down these wormholes led me to stumble upon prion diseases, which to me were both incredibly scary and super interesting at the same time. Why are they interesting to me you ask? I'll tell you.

What are prions? Prions are a type of protein that is found in all cells. They are normally harmless, but they can misfold and become infectious. This happens to a normal protein called PrPC, changing it into an abnormal form called PrPSc. The misfolded prions can then spread to other cells and cause them to misfold as well. Prion diseases are incredibly rare neurodegenerative disorders that affect both humans and animals. They are caused by abnormal prion proteins in the brain. These abnormal proteins cause brain cells to die. 

I find these diseases fascinating mainly because protein folding is so integral to how our body functions. Although this abnormal protein folding is quite rare, the fact that it can happen leads me to think about how it can be prevented, and if it can be prevented. Prion diseases are incredibly hard to treat. There are currently no effective treatments for prion diseases, and they are always fatal. This is because there is no way to remove PrPSc from the brain, and once PrPSc has started to spread, it is very difficult to stop. This makes me think about the different kinds of approaches doctors and scientists can take to develop treatments. 

Even though it may be a long time before a cure for prion diseases is created, they have the immense potential to teach us a lot about the basic workings of cells and proteins. By studying prion diseases, we may be able to develop new treatments for other neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. I'll continue to read about these diseases on Wikipedia, maybe I shouldn't, but I just can't resist. It's like watching a train wreck – you know you shouldn't look, but you can't help but stare.