DiseasessuchasCreutzfeldt-JakobdiseaseandkurudevelopwhenPrPproteinsformprionsbymisfolding,clumpingtogether,andspreadingfromcelltocell.Overthepastdecade,anumberofproteinshavebeenreportedtopossessthecharacteristicsofPrPprions.Agrowingcollectionofdisordershasbeenfoundtobecausedbyprions;someofthesepriondiseasesincludesuchdevastatingillnessesasAlzheimer’sandParkinson’sandpossiblytype2diabetes.Writtenandeditedbyexpertsinthefield,thiscollectionfromColdSpringHarborPerspectivesinMedicinecoverstheprogressthathasrecentlybeenmadeinourunderstandingofthepathophysiologyofpriondiseases,aswellasongoingeffortstodevelopeffectivetherapeutics.Thecontributorsdiscusshowproteinssuchastau,isletamyloidpolypeptide,andalpha-synucleinadoptalternativeshapesthatleadthemtoaggregate,resultingincellulardegeneration.Therapiesforhumanandanimaldiseasescausedbyprionsarealsocovered.Thisvolumeisthereforeusefulforallbiomedicalscientistsandphysicianswishingtounderstandandtreatthisexpandinggroupofdevastatingdisorders.
