Alzheimer’s can spread between humans, a groundbreaking study revealed today. Experts have found evidence of at least five people ‘catching’ the memory-robbing disorder from now-banned hormone treatments.
The patients were among 1,848 people injected with growth hormones riddled with toxic amyloid-beta protein ‘seeds’, or prions, as children.
All five came down with the same rare early-onset form of the devastating dementia condition. Others who received the same treatment are now considered ‘at risk’.
Between 1958 and 1985, abnormally short children in the UK and the US were given hormones harvested from cadavers to help spur their growth.
Academics now believe other medical and surgical procedures might carry a risk of spreading Alzheimer’s as prions — which accumulate in the brain and kill neurons — can survive hospital sterilization methods.
As prions accumulate in the brain, the NHS says plaque deposits may appear in the brain. Abnormal build-ups of proteins in and around neurons are thought to be what cause Alzheimer’s.
Professor John Collinge, of University College London, said action must be taken to prevent accidental transmission in the future.
He said: ‘These patients were given a specific and long-discontinued medical treatment which involved injecting them with material now known to have been contaminated with disease-related proteins.
‘We are now planning to look at ways of destroying prions from surgical equipment, as they can resist normal decontamination methods.’
Alzheimer’s was previously believed to come in two forms — a ‘sporadic’ variant suffered by thousands of people over the age of 65, which is by far the most common, and a genetic early-onset type that runs in families.
The UCL scientists say they have now identified a third variant, which is slightly different from the others and very rare and can be passed from one person to another. Batches of the infected growth hormone were stored in a Department of Health archive as a dried powder.
This groundbreaking study raises concerns about the potential transmission of Alzheimer’s disease between humans.
According to experts, at least five individuals have contracted the memory-robbing disorder through hormone treatments that were once administered to children. These treatments involved injections of growth hormones contaminated with toxic amyloid-beta protein ‘seeds’ or prions.
The patients who developed Alzheimer’s were among a group of 1,848 individuals who received these hormone injections as children. All five affected individuals developed a rare form of early-onset Alzheimer’s, while others who underwent the same treatment are now considered at risk.
From 1958 to 1985, short children in the UK and the US received hormones derived from cadavers to promote growth. However, this practice was later banned due to the discovery that some hormone batches were contaminated with prions, leading to a fatal brain disorder called Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, which is closely related to ‘mad cow’ disease.
The groundbreaking study suggests that other medical and surgical procedures may also carry the risk of spreading Alzheimer’s. Prions, which accumulate in the brain and cause neuronal death, have been found to survive traditional hospital sterilization methods.
Within the brain, the accumulation of prions leads to the formation of plaque deposits. These abnormal protein build-ups around neurons are believed to be responsible for Alzheimer’s disease.
Professor John Collinge of University College London emphasized the need for immediate action to prevent accidental transmission in the future. He stated that the patients in question were subjected to a discontinued treatment that involved injecting them with materials contaminated with disease-related proteins. Professor Collinge also highlighted the importance of developing methods to destroy prions from surgical equipment, as they display resistance to standard decontamination techniques.
Previously, Alzheimer’s was classified into two forms: sporadic, the most common variant affecting individuals over 65 years old, and genetic early-onset, which runs in families. However, this recent study has identified a third variant, rare and slightly different from the others, which can be transmitted between individuals. The infected growth hormone batches were stored as a dried powder in a Department of Health archive.
This groundbreaking research not only expands our understanding of Alzheimer’s disease, but also raises concerns regarding its potential transmission between humans. The study findings emphasize the importance of implementing stringent precautions to protect individuals from accidental exposure to disease-related proteins, both in historical cases and in current medical and surgical procedures.
