The prion principle and Alzheimer’s disease.

Recent research suggests that the mechanism underlying Alzheimer's disease shares similarities with prion diseases, such as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Prion diseases occur when a misfolded protein forces normal copies of the protein into the same misfolded shape, resulting in the spread of disease. Alzheimer's disease is characterized by the presence of misfolded proteins in the brain, and research in mouse models has shown that these proteins can aggregate and spread in a similar way to prion diseases. While definitive proof of transmission in humans is difficult to obtain, the evidence supports the idea that Alzheimer's disease originates from the misfolding and aggregation of these proteins. This understanding of the prion-like mechanism could lead to improved diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for Alzheimer's disease and other related disorders. [Extracted from the article]