Fat cells also linked to prion infection
Disease-causing misfolded proteins at home in a growing list of tissues, organs
Rachel Ehrenberg
Science n\News
Scientists have added fat cells to the roster of bodily tissues and organs that may harbor infective prions, the renegade misfolded proteins that are believed to cause scrapie in sheep and mad cow disease in cattle. Research on mice infected with scrapie, reported in the Dec. 5 PLoS Pathogens, suggests that fat cells in other animals should also be investigated.
