A group of researchers from Tufts University and the University of Oxford has found compelling evidence that two common virus population may trigger the onset of Alzheimer’s, their results were recently published in the journal “Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease” and here we’ll tell you the details.
varicella zoster virus and herpes simplex type
Researchers suspected varicella zoster virus (VZV), which causes chickenpox, and herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1), which causes cold sores, better known as cold sores. . “Glow” one of two “Lipfire”Searching for a vaccination against a resurgence of VZV, which causes herpes zoster, or “Shingles” Reduces the risk of developing Alzheimer’s, following a primary infection with chickenpox.
Furthermore, HSV-1 had already been linked to the disease in the past. An important coincidence in both viruses is that they can remain latent or inactive in nerve cells for years after the first infection and can then become active again under certain circumstances, which justifies maintaining suspicion about these viruses. .
As such, the researchers of the study set out to evaluate what effect exposure to these two viruses had on the nerve cells of the brain, so they used a three-dimensional model of human tissue culture to mimic functional neurons and glial cells. has developed. Infection of the brain and subsequent viruses described above were promoted.
when the brain model got infected With VZV alone, no changes were seen in cells showing signs of Alzheimer’s, Only infection was determined to produce significant inflammation.
On the other hand, when the brain model already contained dormant HSV-1, a second infection with VZV led to HSV-1 reactivation and subsequent symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease, ie, an increase in tau and beta-amyloid and As a result of slowing neuronal signals, abnormalities in brain tissue are unprecedented in pathology.
“Our results suggest a pathway to Alzheimer’s disease caused by VZV infection that creates inflammatory triggers that wake up HSV-1 in the brain.”
“While we demonstrated a link between VZV and HSV-1 activation, it is possible that other inflammatory events in the brain may also awaken HSV-1 and cause Alzheimer’s disease,” study researcher Dana Cairns said in a statement.
Some cynics in ScienceAlert indicate that the results found are important and should continue to encourage research, however, it should be kept in mind that despite the brain being modeled, Mimicking real brain conditions is a great challenge that is difficult to achieve, on the other hand, it should be noted that it is brain inflammation itself, which results from various conditionsthat leads to the condition, so other factors and microorganisms may be involved.
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