Prion-related diseases, known as transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs), are infectious, fatal neurodegenerative disorders for which there is no cure, treatment, nor even a means for early diagnosis. The horrific advent of Mad Cow Disease -- transmitted to humans through eating meat from steers sickened by bovine spongiform encephalopathy --brought prion-related diseases international attention. Exceptionally dramatic, these diseases progressively and inexorably destroy the cognitive, motor, and sensorial skills that are the essence of human beings.

Prions: The New Biology...