Alzheimer's disease cure may come from cold sore virus

William Atkins
Monday, 08 December 2008 22:40

Science - Health

Dr. Itzhaki states, "The ensuing active HSV1 infection causes severe damage in brain cells, most of which die and then disintegrate, thereby releasing amyloid aggregates which develop into amyloid plaques after other components of dying cells are deposited on them." [ScienceDaily.com]

Dr Wozniak, one of the researchers of the study, adds: "Antiviral agents would inhibit the harmful consequences of HSV1 action; in other words, inhibit a likely major cause of the disease irrespective of the actual damaging processes involved, whereas current treatments at best merely inhibit some of the symptoms of the disease." [ScienceDaily.com]

The work of Itzhaki and her team indicates that there is a possibility of preventing AD in humans without dementia with the use of vaccines, and by slowing the disease in people already afflicted with AD by the use of anti-viral agents.

Although the results of the Itzhaki-lead study are preliminary at this stage, if verified its implications could lead to a much better understanding of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

Most important, future research could lead to a much better way to treat Alzheimer's disease, and possibly toward a way to prevent it.

Itzhaki states, “One thing that is exciting about our research is that we already have drugs that have been used for a relatively long time against HSV1, which are cheap and well tolerated."

She concludes, "If we are right, there is a good chance we could make progress quite quickly.” [Times Online: “Virus clue to cause of Alzheimer’s”]