There is mounting evidence that has increasingly pointed to HSV-1 as being possibly involved in Alzheimer’s disease. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dr. Itzhaki, who has worked extensively to investigate the link, published a paper<\/a> in 1991 which was the very first experimental study to link HSV1 and AD. In the paper, she noted that she discovered the viral DNA in a very high proportion of elderly people. Dr. Itzhaki also published this paper<\/a> establishing a potential link between Alzheimer\u2019s and Herpes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Her study in 1997 showed that in AD patients, the virus, when in the brain, was associated with a genetic factor \u2013 the type 4 allele of the APOE gene, and significantly, it was found also that the same genetic factor is a risk for cold sores caused by HSV1. She published this<\/a> more recent paper where she argues that the evidence is \u201coverwhelming\u201d. Recent studies by other researchers, include this one<\/a> about a 3D human brain\u2013like tissue model of herpes-induced Alzheimer\u2019s disease. And this this one<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The association between Herpes and Alzheimer\u2019s is also now a frequent topic of discussion on Alzheimer communities like this one.<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n This theory used to be considered fringe, but information about possible links has started to pile up in recent years. So far, it has not been proven that HSV-1 causes Alzheimer\u2019s, but the various studies have demonstrated a “strong link”.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Because of such recent research results demonstrating a “strong link”, the National Institute of Aging at NIH in 2019 announced that studying the link has become a “high priority” area of research and has requested researchers to submit research proposal for possible funding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This high priority call for research is for proposals investigating the pathogen theory of Alzheimer’s, with a focus on the role of HSV-1. It’s an area of current intense research. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In fact, Dr. Jerome at Fred Hutch Cancer Center<\/a>, whose lab is working on a gene editing approach<\/a> to cure Herpes Simplex Virus, has noted that they had also received an NIH grant to investigate this link. \u201cNow, we have a grant from the NIH to work on a herpes cure\u2014and more recently, we received a grant to actually look at the possible link between herpes infection and Alzheimer\u2019s disease.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n