Prions show their good side
Wednesday, May 7, 2008 - 09:56
in Biology & Nature
Prions, the infamous agents behind mad cow disease and its human variation, Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease, also have a helpful side. According to new findings from Gerald Zamponi and colleagues, normally functioning prions prevent neurons from working themselves to death. The findings appear in the May 5th issue of the Journal of Cell Biology.