1. The Viral Hypothesis in Alzheimer’s Disease: Novel Insights and Pathogen-Based Biomarkers
- Author
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Sean X Naughton, Urdhva Raval, and Giulio Maria Pasinetti
- Subjects
Population ,lcsh:Medicine ,Medicine (miscellaneous) ,Review ,virus ,Disease ,Bioinformatics ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,Medicine ,Dementia ,Cognitive decline ,Risk factor ,bacteria ,education ,Pathogen ,030304 developmental biology ,0303 health sciences ,education.field_of_study ,Innate immune system ,business.industry ,lcsh:R ,Neurodegeneration ,medicine.disease ,business ,Alzheimer’s disease ,030217 neurology & neurosurgery ,dementia - Abstract
Early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and the identification of significant risk factors are necessary to better understand disease progression, and to develop intervention-based therapies prior to significant neurodegeneration. There is thus a critical need to establish biomarkers which can predict the risk of developing AD before the onset of cognitive decline. A number of studies have indicated that exposure to various microbial pathogens can accelerate AD pathology. Additionally, several studies have indicated that amyloid-β possess antimicrobial properties and may act in response to infection as a part of the innate immune system. These findings have led some to speculate that certain types of infections may play a significant role in AD pathogenesis. In this review, we will provide an overview of studies which suggest pathogen involvement in AD. Additionally, we will discuss a number of pathogen-associated biomarkers which may be effective in establishing AD risk. Infections that increase the risk of AD represent a modifiable risk factor which can be treated with therapeutic intervention. Pathogen-based biomarkers may thus be a valuable tool for evaluating and decreasing AD risk across the population.
- Published
- 2020
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