A new study suggests that Alzheimer's disease is potentially caused by a previous infection. It was mentioned that Alzheimer's is a result of the brain's attempt to fight infections.
Millions of Americans suffer from Alzheimer's, which is considered as a brain disease. Alzheimer's in one of the leading death for people ages 65 and above. The study published in "Science Translational Medicine" was done by the Harvard University researchers according to TIME.
The researchers highlighted that Alzheimer's, which is a degenerative brain disease occurs because of the brain's attempts to fight infections from the past. One of the leading researchers Dr. Robert Moir mentioned that Alzheimer's is likely caused by a protein like substance known as amyloid.
The researchers described amyloid as an antimicrobial pod. They highlighted that the brain's antimicrobial properties defend the brain from infections and viruses. When the amyloids protect the brain, they filter the infectious substances through their long strands of finger, which is just kept within the brain.
As the strands with infectious substances stack up, the researchers mentioned that the amyloid eventually becomes toxic due to the increasing numbers of infections substances stored in its strands. The researcher noted that the "possible" low-risk infection in the amyloid paired with different pathogens can cause the brain to produce the infected amyloid. The act to the brain to ward off infection can potentially cause Alzheimer's.
One of the studies done by the researchers involved mice being injected with Salmonella. According to New York Times, the Salmonella bacteria were injected into the brain of young mice. The co-author of the study Rudolph E. Tanzi noted that the bacteria caused plaques overnight. It was then noted that the hippocampus was eventually filled with plaques with is infected with a bacterium.
The researchers are yet to prove that Alzheimer's is indeed caused by previous infections, but it is a step closer in eradicating the brain disease. Tanzi mentioned that once he and his team would be able to pinpoint the root cause, they would be able to find a stop to Alzheimer's.
