Mad Cow Research May Aid Curing Human Diseases
Research in protein cell deterioration may lead to cures for Lou Gehrig’s disease, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
New research suggests that the often fatal Mad Cow Disease may hold the keys to curing many diseases caused by deformed proteins. Such diseases include Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and Lou Gehrig’s disease.
Research into Mad Cow Disease, a bovine neurodegenerative disorder, could answer questions about the way these proteins deteriorate and what could be done to stop this deterioration in humans. Mad Cow, known as Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), spreads quickly from cell to cell. Researchers are seeking to halt this, for deformed proteins cannot be repaired.
The Michael J. Fox Foundation has even increased funds to those studying the link between protein deterioration in Mad Cow Disease and human diseases.
Other diseases that involve protein deformities’ are Type 2 diabetes, cataracts, cystic fibrosis, and emphysema, among others.