NR AKYP
AU Slepoy,A.; Singh,R.R.P.; Pazmandi,F.; Kulkarni,R.V.; Cox,D.L.
TI Statistical mechanics of prion diseases
QU Physical Review Letters 2001 Jul 30; 87(5): 058101
IA http://link.aps.org/abstract/PRL/v87/e058101
PT journal article
AB We present a two-dimensional, lattice based, protein-level statistical mechanical model for prion diseases (e.g., mad cow disease) with concomitant prion protein misfolding and aggregation. Our studies lead us to the hypothesis that the observed broad incubation time distribution in epidemiological data reflect fluctuation dominated growth seeded by a few nanometer scale aggregates, while much narrower incubation time distributions for innoculated lab animals arise from statistical self-averaging. We model "species barriers" to prion infection and assess a related treatment protocol.
MH Animal; Computer Simulation; Hamsters; Human; Mice; *Models, Biological; *Models, Statistical; *Prion Diseases/epidemiology/metabolism/transmission; Prions/chemistry/metabolism; Protein Folding; Support, Non-U.S. Gov't; Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.
AD Department of Physics, University of California, Davis, California 95616, USA
SP englisch
PO USA