CJD and Kuru: Prion CJD and Kuru: Prion VirusesViruses

By: Danny NemethBy: Danny Nemeth

PrionPrion

infectious agent composed of protein in a infectious agent composed of protein in a misfolded formmisfolded form

CJDCJD

Creutzfeldt-Jakob DiseaseCreutzfeldt-Jakob Diseaseneurodegenerative disorderneurodegenerative disorderyear of onset of illness year of onset of illness

StructureStructure

no Nucleic acidsno Nucleic acidsmass of 27,000 - 30,000 daltons mass of 27,000 - 30,000 daltons 145 amino acids145 amino acidsStructure unknownStructure unknown

CauseCause

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

functionfunction

ALWAYS FATAL!ALWAYS FATAL!

SymptomsSymptoms

Neurological Neurological DepressionDepressionConfusionConfusion loss of coordination and balanceloss of coordination and balance progressive blindness progressive blindness

Transmission Transmission

GENETICS! GENETICS! Defective HGHDefective HGHCANNIBALISM! CANNIBALISM!

KURUKURU

Misfolded ProteinsMisfolded Proteins

CannibalismCannibalismBrainsBrains

SymptomsSymptoms

Coordination problemsCoordination problems Difficulty walking Difficulty walking Swallowing difficultySwallowing difficulty Tremors and muscle jerks Tremors and muscle jerks

Treatment and PrognosisTreatment and Prognosis•NONE!

•Prognosis

•Death after 1 year of symptoms

Stuff I UsedStuff I Used

http://www.cjdsurveillance.com/http://www.cjdsurveillance.com/abouthpd.htmlabouthpd.html

http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/cjd/http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/cjd/index.htmindex.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kuru_(disease)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kuru_(disease)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creutzfeldthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creutzfeldt

%E2%80%93Jakob_disease%E2%80%93Jakob_diseasehttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/

pubmedhealth/PMH0002355/pubmedhealth/PMH0002355/