Alzheimer's Disease May Be Transmittable

Could Alzheimer's disease be transmittable?

New findings published in the journal Nature reveal that the debilitating neurodegenerative illness may be transmitted from one person to the other in rare cases in which there is contact with infected brain tissue.

In this recent study, researchers examined the brain autopsy findings of eight individuals whose cause of death was Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD)-a neurological disease that's caused by a certain misfolded protein or prion. The study participants received growth hormones extracted from the prion-contaminated pituitary glands of human cadavers between 1958 and 1985, due to short stature that is a classic symptom of the disease. Findings revealed that four of the brains contracted massive amounts of amyloid beta, otherwise known as primary protein content that's linked to AD.

If the data from the study is indeed confirmed, the findings could show that those who received human growth hormone treatment may be at an increased risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. Though there is no proof that the disease can be transmitted through ordinary person-to-person contact, experts are still concerned that the study findings project that Alzheimer's disease may be transmitted in ways that CJD can; this includes blood transfusion and exposure to contaminated surgical tools.

Researchers further noted the importance of properly cleaning medical equipment so as to reduce the risk of any potential contamination. In the future, scientists are also hoping to replicate initial findings independelty by studying 20-30 individuals who died of CJD in France following the receipt of human growth hormones from cadavers.

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