Are infections seeding some cases of Alzheimer’s disease?

[Andy]

But some recent research has provided intriguing hints that the two ideas could fit together — that infection could seed some cases of Alzheimer’s disease by triggering the production of amyloid clumps.

The data hint at a radical role for amyloid in neurons. Instead of just being a toxic waste product, amyloid might have an important job of its own: helping to protect the brain from infection. But age or genetics can interrupt the checks and balances in the system, turning amyloid from defender into villain.

And that idea suggests new avenues to explore for potential therapies. To test the theory further, scientists are now developing animal models that mimic Alzheimer’s disease more closely. “We are taking the ideas seriously,” says neuroscientist Bart de Strooper, director of the UK Dementia Research Institute at University College London.

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-03084-9

 

[SNT Gatchaman]

This BBC article links to a number of related papers, covering viral infections such as HSV1 leading to Alzheimer's.

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20211006-what-if-dormant-microbes-trigger-alzheimers