Serio lab found prions can be cured in yeast

Prion aggregates are associated with diseases including Alzheimer's, Huntington's and Parkinson's. It's believed that when prion aggregates arise, cells cannot get rid of them. A recent work from the lab of Tricia Serio, professor and head of the MCB department, showed however that yeast cells can clear themselves of prion aggregates at an increased temperature. This work suggests that inducing stress responses may one day help develop treatments for diseases associated with misfolded prion proteins. The work is published today at eLife -- see the paper here, and the UA news report here.