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Anti-prion therapy
- Thread starter Triangulation
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Have prions actually been identified/visualized in vitro?
Kuru is the condition which first brought prion diseases to prominence in the 1950s. Found in geographically isolated tribes in the Fore highlands of New Guinea. Established that ingesting brain tissue of dead relatives for religious reasons was likely to be the route of transmission. They ground up the brain into a pale grey soup, heated it and ate it. Clinically, the disease resembles CJD. Other tribes in the vicinity with same religious habit did not develop the disease. It is speculated that at some point in the past a tribe member developed CJD, and as brain tissue is highly infectious this allowed the disease to spread. Afflicted tribes were encouraged not to ingest brain tissue and the incidence of disease rapidly declined and is now almost unknown
When I was in school it was thought that Kuru was caused by a retrovirus. When did this change?
Kuru is the condition which first brought prion diseases to prominence in the 1950s. Found in geographically isolated tribes in the Fore highlands of New Guinea. Established that ingesting brain tissue of dead relatives for religious reasons was likely to be the route of transmission. They ground up the brain into a pale grey soup, heated it and ate it. Clinically, the disease resembles CJD. Other tribes in the vicinity with same religious habit did not develop the disease. It is speculated that at some point in the past a tribe member developed CJD, and as brain tissue is highly infectious this allowed the disease to spread. Afflicted tribes were encouraged not to ingest brain tissue and the incidence of disease rapidly declined and is now almost unknown
When I was in school it was thought that Kuru was caused by a retrovirus. When did this change?
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I don't think the term "prion" existed before Stanley Prusiner publilshed his findings in 1982, based on research showing apparent lack of nucleic acid material in agents isolated from sheep afflicted with "scrapies"...the ovine analog of "mad cow disease" (BSE). He eventually won the Nobel prize in medicine back in '97 for the "discovery" of the prion.
Prior to the "prion", I think the common theory was that diseases such as "kuru" were caused by something called a "slow virus" (perhaps because of a long incubation period following administration of infective material into test subjects?)
Wasn't Kuru also called "laughing sickness" because of the uncontrollable laughing associated with this affliction?
As far as visualization of prions, I'm sure they've attempted crystallography in an attempt to view the structures, but I haven't seen anything.
Prior to the "prion", I think the common theory was that diseases such as "kuru" were caused by something called a "slow virus" (perhaps because of a long incubation period following administration of infective material into test subjects?)
Wasn't Kuru also called "laughing sickness" because of the uncontrollable laughing associated with this affliction?
As far as visualization of prions, I'm sure they've attempted crystallography in an attempt to view the structures, but I haven't seen anything.
Yes, what I carried away from those lectures in the early eighties was retrovirus and slow virus. Prion never entered my vocabulary until recently. It was exciting research because, remember, at the time HIV was a newly emerging phenomena and attempts were being made to link the slow virus concept to a wide spectrum of diseases from cancers to ALS/parkinsons/MS.
Read this from Patricia Doyle PhD and her emerging diseases message board:
Coincidence, Edmonton to mass slaughter deer in futile attempt to stop CWD
PB ? 01/30/2003,
'THEY' do love the dramatic spectacle of mass slaughter of animals don't they - is it to convince us or themselves that they are doing 'something'??
When will they learn that the spongiform encephalopathies are not a 'catchable' disease - it is something the animal/human develops if given the right environment.
Of the heavy metals, manganese is the worst culprit - even then most animals might resist that if all else is normal - but manganese is in the 'salt' licks and is being spewed out by every passing car - plus goodness knows what is in the feed now!
Add to that, the animals are probably being sprayed by organophosphates, which have been proved to deform the prion protein without the other factors - and really the animals don't stand a chance.
But along comes a well meaning 'scientist' who declares that one animal must have 'caught' it from another, and hey presto the whole herd gets wiped out.
Given that WE ALL HAVE PRIONS - there is not a disease called prion - each body makes them as part of its defence against free radical damage - the prions are normally re-absorbed in the normal course of events - but if they become malformed because of the above factors, then the body no longer recognises them and has no means of dealing with what is now a foreign agent.
End of spiel - Pat
Then in this article Patricia states that it is spread by blood transfusion
http://rense.com/general46/prion.htm
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Some info on "Antiprion Antibodies" by one of those Zurich guys in a newsletter published by the "European Dana Alliance for the Brain":
http://www.edab.net/EuroBRAIN 9 Anglais.pdf
http://www.edab.net/EuroBRAIN 9 Anglais.pdf
I was just interested in getting peeps thoughts bc of the cow they found in wa state. I wasn't actually trying to get peeps to figure it out. It's literally like trying to uncook an egg (which i heard has also been done).
Stan Prussiner, a ucsf faculty member, is credited with the prion theory. The word is a kinda contraction of protein-infection, which was ridiculed until he was proven correct experimentally. Other organisms use prions as a normal and non-lethal modality in their life cycle most notably some molds (i think sacc cerevesiae does.) I think all the **** he took during those 15 yrs is why he's such a prick now, according to a bunch of peeps at ucsf. They have visualized them, i've seen it in scientific american, it's easily done with prions bc they're so big.
What are peeps thoughts on the implications on cattle industry, health care, trade?
I took a path class from a guy who studies prions. He didn't seem as worried about prions as he was about other infectious diseases, but his reasoning was a little bizarre: He thought CJD was the way to go bc it wipes out who you are and is supposedly painless since you're brain is so jacked up with holes n ****. He definitely said it was nothing like that depicted in 'cobra event' though.
Stan Prussiner, a ucsf faculty member, is credited with the prion theory. The word is a kinda contraction of protein-infection, which was ridiculed until he was proven correct experimentally. Other organisms use prions as a normal and non-lethal modality in their life cycle most notably some molds (i think sacc cerevesiae does.) I think all the **** he took during those 15 yrs is why he's such a prick now, according to a bunch of peeps at ucsf. They have visualized them, i've seen it in scientific american, it's easily done with prions bc they're so big.
What are peeps thoughts on the implications on cattle industry, health care, trade?
I took a path class from a guy who studies prions. He didn't seem as worried about prions as he was about other infectious diseases, but his reasoning was a little bizarre: He thought CJD was the way to go bc it wipes out who you are and is supposedly painless since you're brain is so jacked up with holes n ****. He definitely said it was nothing like that depicted in 'cobra event' though.
Oh that's easy. The hysteria will be far worse than the disease ever could hope to be. Seven countries embargoing Amercian beef in 24 hours. The next step is the destruction of entire herds in targeted regions wiping out livelihoods and dreams as an act of good faith and sincerity. The irony is, if Patricia is correct and the initial infections are a result of environmental insult such as organophosphate poisoning each country will eventually have their turn. Australia would be next. Their practices are no different from the UK or North America.
I agree with your path guy. My goal is to live long enough to be a burden on my children - Ronald Reagan style.
Want to make a ton of money? Start making aluminum foil helmets and offer them for sale as "prion protectors"
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I did my research paper for Microbiology on prion diseases. It was a fun topic to research. I'm not really worried about it. The "bad prions" are only found in the brain and as long as you eat ground sirloin , ground chuck, et al. you will be safe. Just don't eat generic hamburger which is made of cow scraps. I'm about ready to start cooking a nice piece of dead cow for Christmas dinner.
I hope everyone has a nice holiday.
I hope everyone has a nice holiday.
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How long before I can get my hands on dirt cheap fillet mignon? 😀
Seriously...what if they find out that this head of cattle in WA didn't consume "animal byproduct" containing feed, and had an otherwise unremarkable history? Could BSE occur in cattle spontaneously, and we're only paying attention to it nowadays because of increased vigilance? There could have been cases of BSE in cattle for as long as we've raised cattle for consumption...we may have long assumed that stricken animals were "lame" or were so-called "downer" cattle like this one was...and sent them to slaughter without doing a tonsil biopsy to dx BSE.
How strong is the evidence linking BSE with vCJD in humans? There's plenty of epidemiological evidence. I think there is some evidence that you can take "infective" material from BSE cattle and place it within another species of animal and it will produce a "spongiform encephalopathy-like" disease. But how do we really know short of unethically injecting infective material into a human subject. I'm just wondering how overstated BSE is as a threat to humans, considering that its estimated that 95% of CJD cases are spontaneous or familial in origin.
Seriously...what if they find out that this head of cattle in WA didn't consume "animal byproduct" containing feed, and had an otherwise unremarkable history? Could BSE occur in cattle spontaneously, and we're only paying attention to it nowadays because of increased vigilance? There could have been cases of BSE in cattle for as long as we've raised cattle for consumption...we may have long assumed that stricken animals were "lame" or were so-called "downer" cattle like this one was...and sent them to slaughter without doing a tonsil biopsy to dx BSE.
How strong is the evidence linking BSE with vCJD in humans? There's plenty of epidemiological evidence. I think there is some evidence that you can take "infective" material from BSE cattle and place it within another species of animal and it will produce a "spongiform encephalopathy-like" disease. But how do we really know short of unethically injecting infective material into a human subject. I'm just wondering how overstated BSE is as a threat to humans, considering that its estimated that 95% of CJD cases are spontaneous or familial in origin.
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The vCJD shows some different symptoms than the regular CJD. But, it could just be a mutatation.
I agree that we could have been eating infected cattle all along. Animals are slaughtered before any signs appear. There really is no way of knowing unless you go through the expense of saving the head of each animal, inspecting the brain, then approving the rest of the animal for consumption. I'm not too worried about it. It was certainly not worthy of a front page headline, which is what happened here. I hate media induced frenzies.
I agree that we could have been eating infected cattle all along. Animals are slaughtered before any signs appear. There really is no way of knowing unless you go through the expense of saving the head of each animal, inspecting the brain, then approving the rest of the animal for consumption. I'm not too worried about it. It was certainly not worthy of a front page headline, which is what happened here. I hate media induced frenzies.
