What if Alzheimer’s is an autoimmune disease?

[Vince]

What if Alzheimer’s is an autoimmune disease? Toronto neurologist awarded for work on unconventional hypothesis​

Alzheimer’s disease is traditionally understood to be caused by the accumulation of abnormal protein in the brain. Get rid of the protein, the thinking goes, and you reduce the harm.

But what if Alzheimer’s disease is actually an autoimmune disease?

For more than 20 years, Toronto neurologist and medicinal chemist Donald Weaver has been pursuing a different explanation for the neurodegenerative disease in the hope of finding new ways to treat and prevent it. His unconventional hypothesis has now won him a major award.

What if Alzheimer’s is an autoimmune disease? Toronto neurologist awarded for work on unconventional hypothesis

 

[Sergel]

Interesting hypothesis... We now know amyloid plaque is more of a side effect of the illness and probably not a cause... but his idea that it is an immune reaction that causes the amyloid secretion is interesting... Autoimmune dysfunction is a real issue in aging...

 

[Guided_by_Voices]

Dr. Bredesen's list of 36 pathways include some that are consistent with autoimmunity (e.g. chronic inflammation) and some that are not closely related (sleep disturbances, chronically elevated insulin.) More reasons to use his framework as the foundation for all discussion of dementia until someone can add to it.

 

[themud]

I was going to say chronic inflammation, but you beat me to it. How about diet? It's also called Diabetes type 3. Wonder why? Diet is the number one reason for systemic inflammation aside from autoimmune issues like RA and Lupus

 

[sammmy]

Sadly, many neurologists completely ignore the fact that the most probable trigger of the immune system in the brain is actually a brain infection.

Instead, here is what the cited Toronto neurologist offers as an "explanation":

“If we accept the fact that Alzheimer’s disease is an immune-based disease that has certain triggers, then I think that we need to go back and revisit the risk factors,” he says. For instance, he points to the need to better understand how different types of air pollution affect the brain, and to find ways of preventing head trauma.

 

[Vince]

Alzheimer's May Not Actually Be a Brain Disease, Expert Says

The pursuit of a cure for Alzheimer's disease is becoming an increasingly competitive and contentious quest with recent years witnessing several important controversies.

www.sciencealert.com