"Herpes Virus May Play Role In Alzheimer’s, Study Says" - Jen Christensen
Doctor’s don’t know what causes Alzheimer’s disease or the best way to treat it, but they have new evidence to suggest that a common virus may play a role in who develops the condition. In a study published in the journal Neuron, researchers say they’ve found strong evidence to suggest that two strains of the human herpes virus – 6A and 7 – may contribute to the disease that robs people of their memory and cognitive functions. "This is the most compelling evidence ever presented that points to a viral contribution to the cause or progression of Alzheimer's," said study co-author Samuel Gandy, MD, PhD, professor of neurology, psychiatry and associate director of the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. “While these findings do potentially open the door for new treatment options to explore in a disease where we've had hundreds of failed trials, they don't change anything that we know about the risk and susceptibility of Alzheimer's disease or our ability to treat it today," Dr. Gandy said.
- Joel Dudley, PhD, Director, Next Generation Healthcare Institute, Associate Professor, Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Population Health Science and Policy, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Executive Vice President, Precision Health, Mount Sinai Health System
- Samuel Gandy, MD, PhD, Professor, Neurology, Psychiatry, Associate Director, Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Director, The Mount Sinai Center for Cognitive Health and NFL Neurological Care
- Benjamin P. Readhead, Icahn Institute for Multiscale Biology, Institute for Next Generation Healthcare, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
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