Prions disease is very uncommon. Prion diseases are a category of neurodegenerative diseases that affect humans and animals alike. They’re caused by abnormally folded proteins accumulating in the brain, which can contribute to changes in memory, actions, and movement. Researchers are also trying to figure out what causes these diseases and how to cure them. At the moment, prion diseases are frequently lethal. According to a recent report from the National Institutes of Health, the earliest eye damage caused by prion disease occurs in cone photoreceptor cells, primarily in the cilia and ribbon synapses. Their results could help researchers better understand human retinitis pigmentosa, an inherited condition that causes photoreceptor degeneration and blindness. 

Because of its contagious strength against other proteins, prions accumulate in brain tissue and cause cells to die, leaving sponge-like gaps in the brain). Since the protein is located in the brain, Prion disease mainly affects the brain. Prions are spread by eating the brain of an organism that has been contaminated with the infected protein. Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CDJ) is another name for Prion disease. Researchers at the University of California, San Diego, and the University of California, San Francisco, have recently decided to use real-time quaking-induced conversion to calculate prions levels in the eye. Since brain tissue isn’t readily available for examination, if this research is successful, it will make prions diagnosis easier. Approximately 40% of prions patients experience vision issues that require an eye test. Corneal transplants from undiagnosed prions patients have rarely resulted in disease transmission (Abelson 2008). Prion diseases cannot be cured but certain medications can help slow down neurodegenerative diseases. In order to help prevent the spread of prion disease, doctors must properly clean and sterilize medical equipment. If a person is aware that they have prions, they should not donate organs or tissue. Since other organisms like cows and sheep may carry prions, the government regulates the handling and feeding of cows. 

Risk factors for prion disease include: Family history of prion disease, Eating meat infected by “mad cow disease”, Infection from receiving contaminated corneas or from contaminated medical equipment. The symptoms of prion diseases are rapidly developing dementia, difficulty walking and changes in gait, hallucinations, muscle stiffness, confusion, fatigue, difficulty speaking. During a biopsy or after death, a sample of brain tissue is taken to validate prion diseases. Prion diseases are incurable, although certain medications may help delay their progression. Despite progressive and crippling symptoms, medical care focuses on keeping people with these diseases as healthy and relaxed as possible. Cleaning and sterilizing medical equipment properly can help to prevent the disease from spreading. Don’t donate organs or tissue, like corneal tissue, if you have or think you have CJD.