https://www.reddit.com/r/nursing/comments/1nbc6vi/something_i_never_thought_id_see/
There are only a handful of medical terms that give me a sense of heart-stopping cosmic horror. "Infection Status- Prion Disease Under Investigation" is one of those things I'd hate to see on a ward.
what's the mechanism how prion disease works, ive heard it explained as prions 'folding' proteins wrong but how does that work chemically?
It's kind of like if cancer was caused by a pathogen. Cancer is just one of your cells mutating and then multiplying that improper copy until it fills your body. With a prion disease, the misfolded protein can't serve the function its intended fold allowed. It then begins reproducing itself, so your brain is full of junk protein. These junk proteins act like we thought Alzheimer's did due to that bullshit study, forming plaques that are neurotoxic to surrounding tissue. When healthy neural cells touch them they die and your brain becomes full of holes.
how does it reproduce itself without RNA though?
Reproduce was the wrong word to use. It's like a zombie. The misfolded protein is really stable which is why it's so hard to eradicate, even surviving sterilisation. It doesn't need energy, it doesn't do anything, it's the lowest energy state for that kind of protein. It acts as a template when interacting with healthy proteins, which aren't as stable because they need to perform some function. The unstable healthy protein is attracted to the stable prion because they're both hydrophobic, like how oil clumps together in water. Once they contact, the prion is able to infiltrate the healthy protein and they form hydrogen bonds that destabilise the original template in the protein. The healthy protein begins folding in the more thermodynamically stable template.
the only thing im left wondering is if this only applies to certain proteins or if they can effect any old protein
sorry for turning your meme post into an impromptu biology lesson lmao
It really only impacts the nervous system because that's where the highest concentration of vulnerable cells is and neurons don't really divide or recycle like other cells. The neurons are covered in the protein that's vulnerable to prions, with them normally helping to maintain the neuron and boost its signal strength. They would lack the substrate they need in other body parts and your immune system is programmed to defend those cells from anything that looks foreign.