Scientists: Alzheimer's Spreads Through Brain Like an Infection

(NewsCore) - Alzheimer's is capable of spreading through the brain like an infection, according to the findings of a new US study into the progression of the disease.

In tests on mice, Columbia University Medical Center researchers found that the abnormal tau protein -- a key feature of the disease -- spreads through brain circuits in a pattern, "jumping" from neuron to neuron.

They hope that the research, published Wednesday in the online journal PloS One, will contribute to the development of treatments to halt the progression of Alzheimer's, the most common form of dementia.

"The most effective approach may be to treat Alzheimer's the way we treat cancer -- through early detection and treatment, before it has a chance to spread," Dr. Scott Small, the study's co-author, said. "The best way to cure Alzheimer's may be to identify and treat it when it is just beginning."

He added, "It is during this early stage that the disease will be most amenable to treatment. That is the exciting clinical promise down the road."

Alzheimer's is characterized by the accumulation of plaques and fibrous tangles -- composed of abnormal tau -- in brain cells called neurons.

Previous studies have also suggested that the disease begins in the entorhinal cortex, which plays a key role in memory, before progressing to anatomically linked higher brain regions.

The disease, which currently cannot be prevented, cured or slowed, affects around 36 million people worldwide.