Ruth Itzhaki of the University of Manchester is the lead author of a striking paper in the latest issue of the Journal of Pathology, which suggests that the herpes simplex virus, which leads to cold sores, may be important in the development of Alzheimer’s.
One of the telltale signs of this disease is the deposit of beta-amyloid plaques in the brain. Using sophisticated scanning techniques, her team has located DNA of this herpes virus specifically within the amyloid plaques in the brain. Earlier work done by her team has shown that, in mice at least, the herpes infection of nerve cells induces accumulation of beta amyloid, the main component of amyloid plaques. Alzheimer’s has many causes, but Dr Itzhaki estimates that genetics and this virus taken together may account for up to 60% of the explanation.
