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2002.
[Biology and pathology of prion diseases].
During the last few decades, intensive research of the nature of causes of transmissible spongiform encephalophatics (TSE) have been undertaken. The interest in this field of research has risen especially after the outbreak of mad cow disease epidemy. According to proposed Prion hypothesis, PSE agents lack nucleic acid, with protein as their primary component. Various research has detected the presence of Prion genes which code normal cellular Prion proteins. Normal and pathogen protein are isomers but of different conformations. It is hypothesed that a pathogen protein when in contact with normal protein causes its conversion into a pathogen form which leads to disease.