
More evidence emerges for 'transmissible Alzheimer's' theory - randomname2
http://www.nature.com/news/more-evidence-emerges-for-transmissible-alzheimer-s-theory-1.19229
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JoshTriplett
Somewhat misleading headline; critical quote from the article: "Neither study
implies that Alzheimer’s disease could ever be transmitted through normal
contact with caretakers or family members, the scientists emphasize."

This study purely covered transmission via a specific kind of transplant.
Still important for understanding the disease, though.

~~~
ars
But another critical part is that this might be transmitted by surgical
instruments, which apparently can not be cleaned well enough.

That would be huge if true.

~~~
frozenport
This isn't true, many surgical instruments are disposed after use. Here is a
picture of a needle: [http://forums.steroid.com/attachments/anabolic-steroids-
ques...](http://forums.steroid.com/attachments/anabolic-steroids-questions-
answers/35557d1088522377-rubbing-alcohol-clean-1-time-used-needle-needle2.jpg)

~~~
ars
> many surgical instruments are disposed after use

What do you mean "isn't true", what about the ones that aren't disposed of?

Since some are disposed of, that means I should somehow not worry about that
ones that aren't?

And that picture is misleading.

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alexholehouse
Both this result and the preceding paper are also entirely consistent with the
hypotheses that:

1) People who are susceptible to vCJD are more susceptible to AD

2) The (cellular) stress caused by vCJD increases susceptibility for AD

3) People who have had brain surgery (a traumatic and stressful experience in
terms of brain swelling) are more susceptible to AD

All three of which would be entirely inline with the fields' current way of
thinking about AD, proteostasis, CBI etc. Which is not to say I actually don't
think that there is a transmissible element, but I think we should avoid
jumping to conclusions...

~~~
pc2g4d
But what about the CJD controls that didn't receive transplants derived from
cadaver tissue? Those didn't show the same rate of Alzheimers-like plaques, if
I understood the report correctly.

~~~
alexholehouse
The CJD controls had sporadic (sCJD), not variant CJD (vCJD) (whether or not
these are distinct diseases is certainly an open question - I'm more trying to
make the point that there are a lot of variables up in the air, and while it's
a striking relationship there are other equally striking relationships one
could draw).

~~~
pc2g4d
A good note of caution for any study.

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Someone1234
Does this improve the likelihood that it is treatable?

Some previous theories had been that Alzheimer's was essentially genetic. But
never fully genetic, instead of guaranteeing your chance of getting it, it
just increases the likelihood.

So my question is: Could this hint at Alzheimer's being the result of some yet
undetected infection in the brain that some people are more prone to due to
genetics, and that is transmitted due to brain tissue sharing?

PS - What I am asking about isn't that far from the latest research, see:
[http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/574944_4](http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/574944_4)

~~~
ekianjo
There is some ongoing research as well to establish whether or not AZ is a
form a brain diabetes. But at this stage the amyloid hypothesis is still
considered the most probable.

~~~
JamesBarney
My understanding was that they weren't separate hypotheses but one. I thought
amyloid beta interrupted insulin signalling which then lead to all of the
downstream effects of neuroinflammation, cell death, oxidative stress,
glutamate toxicity, etc etc.

But I've never been super clear on the type 3 diabetes explanation.

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andrewclunn
Anecdotally, I am aware that many in my family who developed alzheimer's (it
runs on both side of my family) has surgery a few years before the disease
started to present itself. Though the likelihood of there being much of a
connection seems far fetched, even with this latest evidence, I have suddenly
become much more concerned about going under the knife until this is all
worked out. The grafts I get, but that proteins lingering on equipment, which
isn't ordinarily removed through standard sterilization, could be a means of
transmission... scary.

~~~
SixSigma
The long term effects of surgery are just coming to light. While, obviously,
it is better to have an operation than die, it seems that you don't recover as
quickly as your meat heals.

Anecdotal I know but I believe it took me 10 years to get over my bowel
resection.

And then there's the anesthesia :
[http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/hidden-dangers-
of-...](http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/hidden-dangers-of-going-
under/)

~~~
nommm-nommm
The anesthesia is scary - my grandpa-in-law was never the same after he had
surgery. He went in totally lucid and came out of surgury totally out of it
with dementia-like symptoms. It was permanent and it made him have to go into
a home. He didn't even know who I was anymore. The surgery itself was routine
and very uneventful but the difference in mental function pre and post op were
as dramatic as night and day - and permanent.

I mentioned it to my doctor in casual conversation and she says she has seen
that happen before when older people have surgery, especially those in not so
great health. The article says "researchers hit on two other factors that
increased the chances a patient would become dramatically confused after an
operation: being older than about 70." He was about 80.

~~~
mgpc
The same thing happened to my grandmother. She went in for a minor hernia
operation, and came out a different person. She never recovered. It was very
dramatic and very sad.

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clord
Could it be that Alzheimer's plaque is the ultimate expression of an attempt
by the body to deal with CJD?

~~~
ekianjo
No, CJD has a clear culprit, the prion protein, that does not appear in
"normal" AZ disease.

