A recent study has raised concerns about the possibility of Alzheimer’s disease being transferred from one individual to another under certain circumstances. The study, conducted on mice, found that healthy mice who received bone marrow from mice with hereditary Alzheimer’s disease went on to develop Alzheimer’s themselves. This suggests the potential for diseases like Alzheimer’s to be transmitted through blood, organ, bone marrow, and stem cell transplants.
There are two main types of Alzheimer’s disease: sporadic and familial. Sporadic Alzheimer’s does not have a single genetic cause and is influenced by various lifestyle and environmental factors. In contrast, familial Alzheimer’s is caused by specific genetic mutations, with three known variants linked to the disease. Cases of familial Alzheimer’s are rare, accounting for less than 5% of all cases, but this study focused on this form of the disease to explore its transferability.
To test for the transmissibility of Alzheimer’s, researchers extracted bone marrow from mice carrying a human version of a gene variant linked to Alzheimer’s. This bone marrow was then transplanted into healthy mice. Both groups of healthy mice showed signs of Alzheimer’s disease after receiving the bone marrow transplant, with symptoms appearing early and progressing aggressively. The study also confirmed that amyloid proteins, which lead to the formation of plaques in the brain, can move from the body to the brain.
Despite the potential implications of the study, there are several caveats to consider. The experiments were conducted in mice, so the findings may not directly translate to humans. Additionally, transplant patients are known to have a higher risk of neurological diseases, making it unclear whether the cognitive decline seen in the recipient mice was solely due to the transplantation or the transfer of Alzheimer’s. Further research is needed to clarify these points and determine the exact mechanisms behind the transmission of the disease.
The study’s findings suggest that screening donors for familial Alzheimer’s gene mutations may be necessary to prevent the inadvertent transfer of the disease. They also highlight the possibility that Alzheimer’s may not only be a disorder of the brain, as amyloids from other parts of the body can cross the blood-brain barrier. This raises questions about the origins of neurological illnesses like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, which may have connections to processes occurring outside of the brain.
Overall, while the results of the study indicate that Alzheimer’s can potentially be transferred under specific circumstances, such as through transplants, it is important to note that the disease is not infectious in the same way as a common cold. The study underscores the need for further research to better understand the mechanisms of Alzheimer’s transmission and the implications for potential therapeutic interventions.
