Kuru is a transmissible prion disease. Given that infectious diseases, such as Kuru, require extensive and specific services in terms of vaccines and drug development, our firm stands out for its ability to assist researchers in such conditions.
Overview of Kuru
Kuru is a progressive and fatal disease and has a very different aspect because, unlike other transmission spongiform encephalopathies, it is spread through the act of cannibalism. Kuru is extremely lethal on its own, and its symptom onset, Kuru kills people within one to two years. Kuru was endemic in the early 20th to the Fore tribe and neighboring linguistic tribes in Papua New Guinea.
Fig.1 Epidemiological triangle for the Kuru disease. (Kothekar, H., and Chaudhary, K., 2024)
Pathogenesis of Kuru
Kuru's pathogenesis is said to be due to the inter-organismal transfer of misfolded prion proteins. Such misfolded proteins induce abnormal folding of normal cellular prion proteins. The normal state of prion proteins characterized by isoform PrPc has an orderly arrangement of structural elements, which comprises chiefly alpha helices. Now there is a key change that occurs with the abnormal form of PrPSc isoform which abounds in beta sheets. These abnormal proteins' excessive intracellular accumulation inside the brain accounts for the spongiform changes along with neurodegenerative changes underlying the severe manifestations in an individual suffering from Kuru.
Fig.2 Signs and symptoms of Kuru disease. (Kothekar, H., and Chaudhary, K., 2024)
Vaccine and Therapeutic Development for Kuru
The prion characteristic of Kuru makes it difficult to develop vaccines and therapeutics for Kuru. This in itself is a protein disease and so designing an efficient cure is complex.
- Vaccine Development
Peptide-based vaccines and DNA vaccines can be manufactured to prevent aims at provoking an immune response that induces abnormal prion proteins targeting and being cleared, to prevent the accumulation and spread.
- Therapeutic Development
Prion Protein Clearance: Molecules design to clear the abnormal prion proteins.
Inhibition of Prion Protein: It prevents the conversion of normal types of prion proteins into abnormal types.
Our Services
We provide extensive services, which bring together all the vital elements, state-of-the-art tools, and researchers, and have such structural facilities that can meet the needs of complement all stages of this area of research in the development of animal models, vaccines, or therapeutics.
- Due to its unique transmission method, there are limited animal models specifically for Kuru.
- Optional Models: Chimpanzee model injected with brain material from victims of Kuru disease, etc.
The clients are empowered with the opportunity to obtain customized aid and satisfactory outcomes that help in tackling the issues that may occur regarding the research of infectious diseases more effectively with the final aim of enhancing the overall therapy situation. For more details, we invite you to contact us if you have an interest in our services.
Reference
- Kothekar, Himanshu, and Kirti Chaudhary. "Kuru Disease: Bridging the Gap Between Prion Biology and Human Health." Cureus 16.1 (2024): e51708.
All of our services and products are intended for preclinical research use
only and cannot be used to diagnose, treat or manage patients.
