Why vCJD is more common in young people

2009-10-15

Certain cells in the immune system could help to explain why young people are more likely to develop variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (vCJD) than older people. The findings, published in the Journal of Immunology, could eventually result in new tests for the disease and treatments to stop the disease-causing prions from spreading to the brain and central nervous system (CNS).....

Variant CJD is caused by an abnormal kind of protein called a prion. People become infected by eating meat products derived from cows that were infected with BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy)...

Source: Why vCJD is more common in young people
Author: CORDIS

Link: Why youngsters are more prone to human form of mad cow disease