Mad Cow Disease Agent Causes Heart Damage in Mice

http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/jul2006/2006-07-10-03.asp

Prions - the same disease agents that cause the fatal brain illness known as mad cow disease and its human variant - also cause a form of heart disease in mice, scientists at Scripps Research Institute have found.

The finding raises the possibility that heart infection could be a type of prion disease, and that these prion diseases could travel through the blood.

"Until now, prion disease has been thought of as a chronic neurological condition," says Scripps Research Professor Michael Oldstone, MD, who led the research. "Our study has shown, however, that it can have other manifestations, therefore expanding the types of conditions it could cause."

-snip-

In the newly reported study, investigators at Scripps Research found infectious misfolded prion protein in amyloid deposits in the heart muscle of mice.

Amyloids are waxy protein deposits that stiffen the heart, limit its pumping ability, and typically lead to fatal heart stoppage

-snip-
-----------------------------------


the beef barons are working hand in glove with the pharma barons who make trillions off american's heart problems