If the treatment works, it should work against acquired prions. Acquired prions are dangerous because even a minute amount that makes it to susceptible tissue (the brain) can convert endogenous prion protein to the dangerous, misfolded form.

If the treatment successfully turns off production of endogenous prion protein, then there won’t be any there to convert, and the disease (theoretically) won’t progress, and there’s some reason to believe that it might even reverse itself to at least some extent.

Hmm, interesting. I wonder why the article doesn't mention that possibility.

>If the treatment successfully turns off production of endogenous prion protein, then there won’t be any there to convert, and the disease (theoretically) won’t progress

Yeah that's true, but given how ubiquitous PRNP is in mammals, this could also produce some form of memory, cognitive, or other deficit.