CJD and Kuru: Prion Viruses

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CJD and Kuru Prion Viruses

• By Danny Nemeth

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Prion

• infectious agent composed of protein in a
  misfolded form

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CJD

• Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease
• neurodegenerative disorder
• year of onset of illness

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Structure

• no Nucleic acids
• mass of 27,000 - 30,000 daltons
• 145 amino acids
• Structure unknown

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Cause

• promotes refolding of native proteins
• mass of misfolded proteins disrupts cell function

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ALWAYS FATAL!
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Symptoms

• Neurological
• Depression
• Confusion
• loss of coordination and balance
• progressive blindness

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Transmission

• GENETICS!
• Defective HGH
• CANNIBALISM!

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KURU

• Misfolded Proteins
• Cannibalism
• Brains

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Symptoms

• Coordination problems
• Difficulty walking
• Swallowing difficulty
• Tremors and muscle jerks

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Treatment and Prognosis

• NONE! ?
• Prognosis
• Death after 1 year of symptoms

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Stuff I Used

• http//www.cjdsurveillance.com/abouthpd.html
• http//www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/cjd/index.htm
• http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kuru_(disease)
• http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CreutzfeldtE28093J
  akob_disease
• http//www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH000235
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