He coined the name “prion” (pronounced “PREE-on”) to describe an aberrant form of protein, which he claimed was responsible for the suite of neurodegenerative disorders known as Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies (TSEs). Prusiner claimed that, unlike viruses, prions were not biological entities, but they could be infectious—transmitted orally or through contact with infected material. They could also be inherited or spontaneous in origin.
