Study reveals surprising connection between herpes and Alzheimer's disease

Study reveals surprising connection between herpes and Alzheimer's disease

Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh discovered a surprising link between Alzheimer's disease and herpes simplex virus-1 (HSV-1), suggesting that viral infections may play a role in the disease. The study results will be published today inCell Reports.

The study also showed how tau protein, often considered harmful in Alzheimer's, may initially protect the brain from the virus but later contribute to brain damage. These findings could lead to new treatments that target infections and the brain's immune response.

Our study challenges the conventional view that tau is exclusively harmful and shows that it may initially function as part of the brain's immune defenses. These results highlight the complex interplay between infections, immune responses and neurodegeneration and provide a new perspective and potential new targets for therapeutic development.”

Or Shemesh, Ph.D., senior author, assistant professor, department of ophthalmology at Pitt

The scientists identified forms of HSV-1-related proteins in Alzheimer's brain samples, with larger amounts of viral proteins, along with tangles of phosphorylated tau - one of the hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease pathology - localized to brain regions particularly vulnerable to Alzheimer's disease at all stages of the disease.

Further studies on miniature models of human brains in a Petri dish suggested that HSV-1 infection could modulate levels of the tau protein in the brain and regulate its function, a protective mechanism that appeared to reduce the death of human neurons after infection.

While the exact mechanisms by which HSV-1 affects the tau protein and contributes to Alzheimer's disease are still unknown, Shemesh and his colleagues plan to examine these questions in future research. Their goal is to test potential therapeutic strategies that target viral proteins or refine the brain's immune response, and to investigate whether similar mechanisms play a role in other neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's disease and ALS.

Additional authors of the study include Vanesa Hyde, Chaoming Zhou, MD, Juan Fernandez, Krishnashis Chatterjee, Ph.D., Pururav Ramakrishna, Amanda Lin, Gregory Fisher, Ph.D., Orhan Tunç Çeliker, Jill Caldwell and Leonardo D' Aiuto, Ph.D., all of Pitt; Omer Bender, Ph.D., and Daniel Bar, Ph.D., both of Tel Aviv University; and Peter Joseph Sauer and Jose Lugo-Martinez, Ph.D., both of Carnegie Mellon University.

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