Low pH levels could play a role in the development of prion diseases

Researchers from Michigan State University (MI, USA) have published findings that demonstrate how prion aggregation can be prevented, thus halting the development of deadly prion diseases. The report, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, also showed how astemizolen, an antihistamine, can reduce aggregation. In the study, a two-laser approach was used to measure the speed at which proteins rearrange before aggregation. Lisa Lapidus (Michigan State University), senior author of the study, explained the findings: “While prion's transmission method is quite unusual, the process of protein clumping is quite common in a number of diseases, such as Alzheimer's...