Alzheimer's prions

[iceaura]

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/07/070703172054.htm

So Alzheimer's is a prion disease, apparently.

This is a big jump, partly because the biochemistry of prion diseases has seen a lot of work since the Mad Cow outbreak - much of that stuff applies.

 

[CharonZ]

Uhm nope. Sorry, but you got it wrong. Normally folded prions apparently prevent Alzheimer plaque building.

 

[iceaura]

Uhm nope. Sorry, but you got it wrong. Normally folded prions apparently prevent Alzheimer plaque building.

And the abnormal ones fail to do that, the resulting haywire biochemistry leading to destruction of the brain. What's wrong?

 

[CharonZ]

So Alzheimer's is a prion disease, apparently.

That one is wrong. Alzheimer is not caused by prions. They may only have a beneficial effect with regards to Alzheimer prevention. Think of it that way. Antioxidants may have beneficial effect in case of some immune diseases. It would be wrong to assume that theses diseases are caused by lack of antioxidants.
Also the abnormal prions may lead to Creutzfeldt-Jacob and not to Alzheimer.

 

[iceaura]

That one is wrong. Alzheimer is not caused by prions.

Ah, so. My bad.

For clarity:

Using cells grown in the lab, the team looked at the effect of high and low levels of normal prion protein on the successful formation of beta amyloid, the source of Alzheimer’s plaques. They found that beta amyloid did not form in cells with higher than usual levels of PrPc. In comparison, when the level of PrPc was low or absent, beta amyloid formation was found to go back up again.

Mice genetically engineered to lack PrPc were also studied. Again, this revealed that in its absence, the harmful beta-amyloid proteins were able to form.