Beneficial Role Clarified for Brain Protein Associated with Mad Cow Disease (IMAGE)
Caption
Scientists have clarified details in understanding the beneficial function of a type of protein normally associated with prion diseases of the brain, such as bovine spongiform encephalopathy (commonly known as mad cow disease) and its human counterpart, variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Cross-sections of healthy nerve axons, pictured, show a thick layer of myelin, the insulation that speeds the propagation of electrical signals through the nervous system's wiring. When properly folded, prion proteins play a vital role in maintaining this insulating layer of myelin, according to a new study from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and the University of Zurich.
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Amit Mogha
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