Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • News Feature
  • Published:

The red-hot debate about transmissible Alzheimer's

A Correction to this article was published on 22 March 2016

This article has been updated

A controversial study has suggested that the neurodegenerative disease might be transferred from one person to another. Now scientists are racing to find out whether that is true.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Relevant articles

Open Access articles citing this article.

Access options

Rent or buy this article

Prices vary by article type

from$1.95

to$39.95

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Change history

  • 17 March 2016

    This article has been corrected to reflect the fact that growth hormone was derived from the pituitary glands, not adrenal glands, of human cadavers.

  • 22 March 2016

    A Correction to this paper has been published: https://doi.org/10.1038/531427a

References

  1. Jaunmuktane, Z. et al. Nature 525, 247–250 (2015).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Frontzek, K., Lutz, M. I., Aguzzi, A., Kovacs, G. G. & Budka, H. Swiss Med. Wkly 146, w14287 (2016).

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Prusiner, S. B. Science 216, 136–144 (1982).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Chiesa, R. PLoS Pathog. 11, e1004745 (2015).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Meyer-Luehmann, M. et al. Science 313, 1781–1784 (2006).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Brown, P. et al. Emerg. Infect. Dis. 18, 901–907 (2012).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Mougenot, A. L. et al. Neurobiol. Aging 33, 2225–2228 (2012).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Luk, K. C. et al. J. Exp. Med. 209, 975–986 (2012).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Luk, K. C. et al. Science 338, 949–953 (2012).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Aguzzi, A., Heikenwalder, M. & Polymenidou, M. Nature Rev. Mol. Cell Biol. 8, 552–561 (2007).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Cohen, M. L. et al. Brain 138, 1009–1022 (2015).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Peelaerts, W. et al. Nature 522, 340–344 (2015).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Lu, J-X. et al. Cell 154, 1257–1268 (2013).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Authors

Additional information

Tweet Facebook LinkedIn Weibo

Related links

Related links

Related links in Nature Research

More evidence emerges for 'transmissible Alzheimer's' theory 2016-Jan-26

Autopsies reveal signs of Alzheimer’s in growth-hormone patients 2015-Sep-09

Alzheimer’s research takes a leaf from the prion notebook 2015-May-29

Prions and chaperones: Outside the fold 2012-Feb-15

Protein folding: The dark side of proteins 2010-Apr-07

Related external links

National Prion Clinic

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Abbott, A. The red-hot debate about transmissible Alzheimer's. Nature 531, 294–297 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1038/531294a

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/531294a

This article is cited by

Search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing