prions

In a new study in mice published in Science, researchers present CHARM, an epigenetic editor that can be used to silence prion protein throughout the brain. The tool offers a path to effective first-line treatment for patients with fatal prion diseases, as well as other neurodegenerative diseases caused by the toxic accumulation of unwanted proteins. 

The prions have made headlines after El País reported that a researcher working with them at a Catalan research center died in 2022 with symptoms compatible with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, a type of prion disease.