Book chapter
Alzheimer's Disease: Assessing the Role of Spirochetes, Biofilms, the Immune System, and Amyloid-beta with Regard to Potential Treatment and Prevention
Handbook of Infection and Alzheimer's Disease
01 Jan 2017
Featured in Collection : UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an infectious disease caused by spirochetes, and these spirochetes form biofilms, which attract the innate immune system. The innate immune system first responder, Toll-like receptor 2, generates both NF-kappa B and TNF-alpha which try to kill the spirochetes in the biofilm, but cannot penetrate the "slime". NF-kappa B is also responsible for the generation of amyloid-beta (A beta) which itself is anti-microbial. A beta cannot penetrate the biofilm either, and its accumulation leads to destruction of the cerebral neurocircuitry. Treatment with penicillin (as in tertiary syphilis, the comparator to AD) is outlined; a biofilm dispersing agent may need to be added to the protocol.
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Details
- Title
- Alzheimer's Disease: Assessing the Role of Spirochetes, Biofilms, the Immune System, and Amyloid-beta with Regard to Potential Treatment and Prevention
- Creators
- Herbert B. Allen - Drexel Univ, Coll Med, Dept Dermatol, 219 N Broad St,4th Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19107 USA
- Contributors
- J Miklossy (Editor)
- Publication Details
- Handbook of Infection and Alzheimer's Disease
- Series
- Advances in Alzheimers Disease
- Publisher
- Ios Press; AMSTERDAM
- Number of pages
- 6
- Resource Type
- Book chapter
- Language
- English
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:000427246100011
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-85028545390
- Other Identifier
- 991019319089804721
UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
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InCites Highlights
Data related to this publication, from InCites Benchmarking & Analytics tool:
- Web of Science research areas
- Clinical Neurology
- Infectious Diseases
- Neurosciences