A Whiff of Mad Cow

piggy submitted, created time 1 week 6 days (sciencenow.sciencemag.org)

Talk about Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Misfolded proteins known as prions cause mad cow disease and other fatal neurodegenerative illnesses. But in their properly folded form, the proteins may be important to survival, helping mice and other animals keep their sniffing skills sharp, new research shows.

Prions get the bad reputation--and the lion's share of research attention--but interest in the normal form of prion proteins is increasing

3 comments | Blog It | Email It | Keywords: neurodegenerative illnesses neuroscience proteomics protein folding prion diseases mad cow disease olfaction smell PrPc neurons prions

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