Researchers have discovered a surprising link between a chronic gut infection caused by a common virus and the development of Alzheimer's disease in a subset of people. It is believed most humans are exposed to this virus -- called cytomegalovirus or HCMV -- during the first few decades of life.
Researchers have discovered a surprising link between a chronic gut infection caused by a common virus and the development of Alzheimer's disease in a subset of people. It is believed most humans are exposed to this virus -- called cytomegalovirus or HCMV -- during the first few decades of life.
If the researchers' hypotheses are confirmed, they may be able to evaluate whether existing antiviral drugs could treat or prevent this form of Alzheimer's disease. They are currently developing a blood test to identify people who have an active HCMV infection and who might benefit from antiviral medication.
In a study published earlier this year in"Nature Communications," the researchers found that the postmortem brains of research participants with Alzheimer's disease were more likely than those without Alzheimer's to harbor specifically CD83 microglia. While exploring why this occurred, they discovered an antibody in the intestines of these subjects -- consistent with the possibility that an infection could contribute to this form of Alzheimer's.
And, although researchers proposed more than 100 years ago that harmful viruses or microbes could contribute to Alzheimer's disease, no single pathogen has consistently been linked to the disease. "We are extremely grateful to our research participants, colleagues, and supporters for the chance to advance this research in a way that none of us could have done on our own," said Dr. Eric Reiman, Executive Director of Banner Alzheimer's Institute and the study's senior author."We're excited about the chance to have researchers test our findings in ways that make a difference in the study, subtyping, treatment and prevention of Alzheimer's disease.
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