Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease ( /ˈkrɔɪtsfɛlt ˈjɑːkoʊb/ KROITS-felt YAH-kohb) or CJD is a degenerative neurological disorder (brain disease) that is incurable and invariably fatal. CJD is at times called a human form of mad cow disease (bovine spongiform encephalopathy or BSE) even though classic CJD is not related to BSE; however, given that BSE is believed to be the cause of variant Creutzfeldt–Jakob (vCJD) disease in humans, the two are often confused.
In CJD, the brain tissue develops holes and takes on a sponge-like texture. This is due to a type of infectious protein called a prion. Prions are misfolded proteins which replicate by converting their properly folded counterparts.
Read more about Creutzfeldt–Jakob Disease: Classification, Signs and Symptoms, Cause, Diagnosis, Treatment, Epidemiology, History
Famous quotes containing the word disease:
“For somehow this disease inheres in tyranny, never to trust one’s friends.”
—Aeschylus (525–456 B.C.)