Prusiner, Stanley B.


developing assays, purifying macromolecules, documenting a discovery by many approaches, and writing clear manuscripts describing what is known and what remains to be investigated. As he later recalled, his three years at NIH were critical in his scientific education.

In 1972, Prusiner began a residency at UCSF in the department of neurology, where he became interested in a “slow virus” infection called Creutzfeld-Jakob disease (CJD) and the seemingly related diseases — kuru of the Fore people of New Guinea and scrapie of sheep. Prusiner joined the UCSF faculty in 1974 and continued his studies on scrapie. Finally in 1982, he published a paper in which he claimed to have isolated the scrapie-causing agent. This agent, which he termed a “prion,” was not like other known pathogens, such as viruses and bacteria, because it consisted only of protein and lacked the nucleic acid having genetic information. Prusiner’s paper immediately set off a firestorm of criticism, especially from virologists, but by the mid-1990s, his discovery had become widely accepted. And in 1997 he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.

The Nobel Assembly awarded Prusiner the Prize “for his pioneering discovery of an entirely new genre of disease-causing agents and the elucidation of the underlying principles of their mode of action. Stanley Prusiner has added prions to the list of well known infectious agents including bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites.”

Read Also:

  • PSA

    An abnormal PSA result following therapy may indicate recurrence of the prostate cancer. PSA is not specific to prostate cancer. Other diseases can cause an elevated PSA. The most frequent is benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH), an increase in the size of the prostate that typically occurs with aging. Infection of the prostate gland (prostatitis) is […]

  • PSC (primary sclerosing cholangitis)

    Primary sclerosing cholangitis.

  • Pseudo-Hurler polydystrophy

    A rare genetic disease that is passed on via an autosomal recessive gene. It is characterized by abnormal lysosomal enzyme transport in cells of mesenchymal origin, causing elevated lysosomal enzymes in body fluids and tissues. Diagnosis is by blood test. There is currently no treatment for this disorder. Also known as mucolipidosis III.

  • Pseudoexfoliation syndrome

    An eye condition that often leads to glaucoma. Called the pseudoexfoliation syndrome because deposits on the surface of the lens look like flakes of dandruff, as if the lens capsule has exfoliated (shed the flakes). It is also called exfoliation syndrome.

  • Pseudodementia

    A severe form of depression that results from a progressive brain disorder in which cognitive changes mimic those of dementia.


Disclaimer: Prusiner, Stanley B. definition / meaning should not be considered complete, up to date, and is not intended to be used in place of a visit, consultation, or advice of a legal, medical, or any other professional. All content on this website is for informational purposes only.