NEWS
13 December 2018
Clarification 14 December 2018

‘Transmissible’ Alzheimer’s theory gains traction

Mouse tests confirm that sticky proteins associated with degenerative brain diseases can be transferred — but researchers say risks for humans are likely to be minimal.

Alison Abbott

Alison Abbott

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Neuroscientists have amassed more evidence for the hypothesis that sticky proteins that are a hallmark of neurodegenerative diseases can be transferred between people under particular conditions — and cause new damage in a recipient’s brain.

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doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-018-07735-w

Read the related News and Views article: ‘Amyloid-β ‘seeds’ in old vials of growth hormone’

Updates & Corrections

Clarification 14 December 2018: This story has been amended to make clear that the four CJD patients mentioned from the 2015 study had extensive build-up of amyloid-beta in their brains.

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