Alzheimer’s Disease Linked to Specific Medical Treatment for the First Time, Study Finds
Alzheimer’s disease, the most common type of dementia, has long been considered an internal process. However, groundbreaking research from the University College London (UCL) has now identified cases where the disease was triggered by a specific medical treatment. The study, published in Nature Medicine, reveals a link between growth hormone treatments and the development of Alzheimer’s.
Traditionally, Alzheimer’s has been attributed to a buildup of amyloid proteins in the brain, with risk factors including age, family history, unhealthy lifestyle behaviors, and certain medical conditions. But the UCL researchers discovered that patients who received a type of human growth hormone extracted from the pituitary glands of deceased individuals (c-hGH) showed higher levels of amyloid-beta protein in their brains.
Of the eight patients studied who had received c-hGH as children, five developed symptoms of dementia and were either diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or met the disease’s criteria. All of these patients were between the ages of 38 and 55 when they began experiencing cognitive decline. Genetic testing confirmed that the early onset of the disease was not inherited.
Dr. Gargi Banerjee, a researcher at the UCL Institute of Prion Diseases and the study’s first author, stated, “We have found that it is possible for amyloid-beta pathology to be transmitted and contribute to the development of Alzheimer’s disease. This transmission occurred following treatment with a now-obsolete form of growth hormone and involved repeated treatments with contaminated material, often over several years.”
It is important to note that Alzheimer’s disease cannot be transmitted through person-to-person contact or routine medical care. Professor John Collinge, director of the UCL Institute of Prion Diseases and a consultant neurologist at UCLH, emphasized this point, saying, “There is no suggestion whatsoever that Alzheimer’s disease can be transmitted between individuals during activities of daily life or routine medical care.”
The growth hormone treatment mentioned in the study was discontinued in 1985 due to its association with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD), a degenerative brain disorder that causes dementia and death. The researchers believe that their findings should serve as a cautionary measure to prevent accidental transmission of amyloid-beta protein through other medical or surgical procedures in the future.
Dr. Rehan Aziz, a geriatric psychiatrist at Jersey Shore University Medical Center, who was not involved in the study, acknowledged that the research provides potential evidence for a “very rare but transmissible form” of Alzheimer’s disease. He noted that the study focused on just five Alzheimer’s patients out of more than 1,800 individuals who received growth hormone treatment in this manner. Aziz added, “The unusually young age at which these patients developed symptoms suggested they did not have the usual form of Alzheimer’s associated with old age.”
Christopher Weber, PhD, director of global science initiatives at the Alzheimer’s Association, also commented on the study. While he was not involved in the research, he reiterated that Alzheimer’s is not contagious and cannot be transmitted through daily activities or being near someone with the disease. Weber highlighted the limitations of the study, which included a small sample size and the absence of similar cases in the literature. He emphasized the need for replication and confirmation to establish the credibility of this potential third type of Alzheimer’s.
Weber also pointed out that while abnormal amyloid buildup can be induced through injections into animals’ brains or by transferring human Alzheimer’s genes into animals, these occurrences are not part of daily life or routine medical procedures. He stressed the importance of understanding and eliminating all possible risks of pathogen transmission within the scientific and clinical communities.
In conclusion, this groundbreaking study from UCL has provided evidence of a potential link between growth hormone treatments and the development of Alzheimer’s disease. While the transmission of amyloid-beta protein identified in this study is rare, it highlights the need for caution and the implementation of measures to prevent the accidental introduction of amyloid-beta into the brain. The findings contribute to our understanding of Alzheimer’s and may help in the prevention of future cases caused by medical treatments.
