Can human blood generate prions?

Under normal circumstances, healthy individuals do not produce prions in their blood; blood may carry prions only when a person is infected with prions or has specific genetic mutations. If concerned, it is recommended to seek medical advice in advance. Detailed explanations are as follows:

Prions are essentially misfolded proteins and are not traditional viruses. Normal human cells do not spontaneously synthesize such abnormal proteins, so prions are neither present nor produced in the blood of healthy individuals. In healthy people, blood components remain in a state of normal metabolism, and protein folding follows regular physiological mechanisms, lacking the pathological basis for prion formation.

If prions enter the body due to infection (such as exposure to tissues or bodily fluids from infected animals or individuals) or if there is a mutation in the gene encoding the prion protein, normally structured prion proteins in the body may misfold into pathogenic prions. In these cases, prions may exist in small amounts in the blood (especially during certain stages of the disease), but this does not mean the blood actively produces them—rather, it is a pathological consequence caused by external infection or genetic abnormalities. The amount of prions in the blood correlates with the stage and progression of the disease.

If you have been exposed to sources of prion infection or have a family history of prion disease, and begin experiencing neurological symptoms (such as cognitive impairment or motor coordination problems), prompt medical evaluation is necessary. As part of daily precautions, avoid contact with blood or tissues of unknown origin, and ensure that medical procedures follow established safety protocols to reduce the risk of infection.