Blood transfusions may transmit Alzheimer's-related amyloid β, study warns
Risk of transmission of amyloid β pathology via transfused blood products
A new study published in The Lancet raises concerns that amyloid β pathology, a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease, could be transmitted through blood transfusions. The research, based on a cohort of patients who received blood from donors later diagnosed with Alzheimer's or related conditions, found an increased risk of developing such pathology. While the absolute risk remains low, the findings suggest a potential iatrogenic route for prion-like protein propagation, warranting further investigation into blood screening practices.
The risk of transmission of amyloid β pathology via transfused blood products is a plausible but unproven concern that merits careful epidemiological surveillance.
- gumby
I don’t believe the plaques have been shown to be prion based, but who knows what the transmission mechanism might be.
More relevantly, the etiology is still a mystery, and nobody knows if the amyloid β is a defense, cause, mechanism, or harmless side effect of Alzheimer’s. Drugs attacking plaque have not made a difference on the disease in clinical trials. In fact the plaque theory seems to have been supported by fraud (causing a president of Stanford to be ejected) and distracted research for years.
People are working on other causes, most of which lately has focused on the tau protein.
- peterfirefly
> The recent recognition of iatrogenic amyloid β cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) and Alzheimer's disease, caused by inadvertent seeding of amyloid β pathology following historical medical procedures
That doesn't explain why shingles vaccinations are (somewhat) protective against Alzheimer's.
- analog8374
Would you say that modern medical science is truth-motivated or profit-motivated? 50-50? 60-40?