Fatal protein : the story of CJD, BSE, and other prion diseases

A comprehensive and authoritative survey of the prion diseases, this volume combines scientific accuracy with a lively style of writing to explore every aspect of prion diseases, including molecular genetics, epidemiology, clinical data, laboratory research, and field studies. Ridley and Baker--both researchers with over two decades of experience in the field--look at several theories of the prion diseases, present detailed descriptions of the human prion diseases, examine the evidence that a new variant of the Creutzfeld-Jakob disease results from eating food infected by BSE, and trace the history of scrapie in sheep, the spread of kuru through cannibalism, and the "mad cow disease" epidemic in Britain. At the heart of the book lies a discussion of the still controversial "prion theory", which maintains that the infectious agent is a normal brain protein which takes on abnormal, mutant shape and function. The potential of similar processes underlying more common diseases is also investigated. An authoritative account of the prion diseases aimed at non-specialists. The history of scrapie in sheep, the spread of kuru through cannibalism in Papua New Guinea, and BSE and its relationship to CJD are examined. All aspects of the problems are discussed, including clinical aspects, genetics, research, epidemiology, and field studies.