Study: Alzheimer’s transmission possible in rare medical accidents
OAN’s Abril Elfi
12:08 PM – Monday, January 29, 2024
A groundbreaking research study reveals that Alzheimer’s disease can potentially be transmitted between humans through a rare medical accident.
The study suggests that while the disease can be spread through medical procedures, there is no evidence of it being transmitted through everyday activities.
According to the study, an abnormal buildup of the protein amyloid beta in the brain is associated with Alzheimer’s. The contamination of this protein may be linked to the early symptoms of dementia experienced by the patients in the study.
John Collinge, the lead author of the study and director of the University College London Institute of Prion Diseases, discussed the findings in a news briefing.
“I should emphasize these are very rare occurrences, and the majority of this relates to medical procedures that are no longer used,” Collinge stated.
The study revealed that each of the five adults had a growth hormone deficiency as children and received pituitary growth hormones derived from cadavers. These hormones were specially prepared and extracted from the pituitary gland, which is located at the base of the brain and naturally produces human growth hormone (HGH) to aid in a child’s growth.
Between 1959 and 1985, a total of 1,848 individuals in the UK, as well as other countries including the United States, received this treatment. However, after cases of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease were linked to tainted human growth hormone from cadavers, the treatment was discontinued.
The recent study suggests that Alzheimer’s disease may be transmitted through repeated exposure to cadaver-derived HGH treatments contaminated with amyloid beta seeds and prions associated with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Prions are proteins that can spread neurodegenerative illnesses.
The researchers noted that Alzheimer’s may be transmitted in a manner similar to “prion diseases,” a family of rare progressive neurodegenerative disorders associated with prion proteins, including Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease.
“It looks like what’s going on in Alzheimer’s disease is very similar in many respects to what happens in the human prion diseases like CJD,” Collinge said in the news briefing. “It does raise implications about therapeutic approaches to Alzheimer’s disease.”
Dr. Richard Isaacson, who was not involved in the study, expressed his belief that Alzheimer’s disease may have some transmissibility similar to prion diseases. However, he noted that more research is needed to fully understand the mechanisms involved.
“While it’s hard to say, there must be something different about how HGH may have infected recipients in this study when compared to prior work,” said Isaacson.
The study emphasizes the importance of sterilizing and decontaminating instruments between surgeries. However, it reassures the public that this form of human growth hormone treatment is no longer used in clinical practice.
Researchers also highlight the need to review measures to prevent accidental transmissions through other medical and surgical procedures, although there is no evidence of amyloid beta being spread between individuals during daily activities.
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What were the findings of the study regarding the transmission of Alzheimer’s disease through growth hormone treatments?
Archers are now working on developing methods to prevent the transmission of Alzheimer’s disease through medical procedures and to find potential treatments for the disease.
Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that affects millions of people worldwide, causing memory loss, cognitive decline, and changes in behavior. While the exact cause of the disease is still unknown, researchers have made significant progress in understanding its underlying mechanisms.
The recent study, conducted by a team led by John Collinge from the University College London Institute of Prion Diseases, focused on a group of five adults who had a growth hormone deficiency as children and received pituitary growth hormones derived from cadavers. These hormones were prepared and extracted from the pituitary gland, which naturally produces human growth hormone.
It was discovered that the individuals who received these cadaver-derived growth hormones were at a higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease later in life. The study revealed that the contamination of the growth hormones with amyloid beta seeds and prions associated with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease may have led to the transmission of Alzheimer’s disease.
Prions are misfolded proteins that can cause normal proteins in the brain to adopt an abnormal shape, leading to the development of neurodegenerative disorders. Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease is one such disorder associated with prions.
The findings of this study suggest that Alzheimer’s disease may be transmitted through repeated exposure to contaminated growth hormone treatments. It raises concerns about the potential transmission of the disease through medical procedures.
However, it is important to note that the study emphasizes that these occurrences are very rare, and the majority of them are related to medical procedures that are no longer used. The study also reassures the public that cadaver-derived growth hormone treatment is no longer used in clinical practice, further decreasing the risk of transmission.
Dr. Richard Isaacson, who was not involved in the study, commented on the research, stating that while Alzheimer’s disease may have some transmissibility similar to prion diseases, more research is needed to fully understand the mechanisms involved.
The study highlights the importance of sterilizing and decontaminating instruments between surgeries to prevent the transmission of diseases. It also calls for further research into therapeutic approaches and treatments for Alzheimer’s disease.
In conclusion, the groundbreaking study reveals the potential transmission of Alzheimer’s disease through rare medical accidents, specifically the contamination of growth hormones derived from cadavers. While the risk of transmission is very low and this form of treatment is no longer used, further research is needed to understand the mechanisms involved and develop preventive measures. The findings of this study contribute to our understanding of Alzheimer’s disease and emphasize the importance of maintaining safety protocols in medical procedures.
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