Prions are rogue proteins that wreak havoc in the brains of infected animals and people.
These hard to classify biological objects consist of a single molecule containing about 250 amino acids, termed the PrP protein. They are abnormal variant of proteins that occur normally in cells, such as human brain cells. The abnormal PrP proteins, when they enter the body, are able to convert their normal counterparts into more of the abnormal forms. These aggregates resemble the tangles of abnormal protein found in neurons in Alzheimer s disease patients.