A possible link between a common virus and Alzheimer’s disease has been found in a study by researchers from Arizona State University and Banner Alzheimer’s Institute. They were part of a larger group working on the research. Findings may help in understanding the progression of the brain disorder.
In the study published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer's Association, researchers found exposure to the cytomegalovirus, or human CMV, which travels to the brain can possibly be affiliated with the development of disease.
Benjamin Readhead is an associate research professor at the ASU-Banner Neurodegenerative Disease Research Center.
“CMV seems to set up kind of a chronic active infection in their intestines. And then what we saw was that this seems to be a precondition for CMV also being detected in the brain of these same subjects," he said.
“I think this is a time to be really hopeful about the future of Alzheimer's disease research and the prospects of having really powerful treatments in the future," he said.
Readhead says the study cannot definitively address “the question of causality” of whether the virus causes or contributes to the disease. Researchers plan to continue their work.
“I think this is a time to be really hopeful about the future of Alzheimer's disease research and the prospects of having really powerful treatments in the future," Readhead said.
