What Are Prion Diseases?

Format: Fact Sheet
Institute: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)

Prion diseases, caused by misshapen proteins called prions, include “mad cow” disease and scrapie in sheep. The most common human form of prion disease is known as variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, or vCJD. Unfortunately, scientists do not have a good understanding of what causes a normal protein to take on the abnormal form characteristic of a prion.

The NIAID Research on Prion Diseases fact sheet was recently updated. The fact sheet describes the various prion diseases in animals and humans and outlines research under way at NIAID to examine how abnormal prion protein molecules cause these diseases.

Next Steps
You can read NIAID Research on Prion Diseases by visiting www.niaid.nih.gov/factsheets/priondis.htm.