Manchester University scientists have found that brain cells exposed to the herpes simplex virus-1 (HSV-1) produce large quantities of a chemical that builds up and prevents the transmission of messages in the brains of Alzheimer's sufferers.
The discovery is seen as a new hope in finding a vaccine that may help prevent the brain disorder, New Scientist magazine reported. Earlier studies suggest the virus is much more active in people with a variant of a gene carried by 30 per cent of the population and half of Alzheimer's patients.
Scientists hope that a vaccination in childhood can significantly reduce the risk of developing the Alzheimer's disease in a same way as antiviral drugs can be used to treat herpes infections.
A team from the University of Rochester Medical Center in New York say they are working to establish a direct link between the virus and the disease.
Lead researcher Dr. Ruth Itzhaki told BBC news, "Alzheimer's is a multi-factorial disease, there are many different causes. But our work implies that for some a mixture of the gene variant and the virus could be contributing to it.
"In the future - although it is a long way off - people could even be immunised against the virus which could help protect people against Alzheimer's," he added saying that scientists need to carry out much more work into this.
HSV-1 is present in 80 per cent of the adult population and is transmitted mainly through saliva and sexual contact. The virus usually remains dormant in the body, but can become more active and cause cold sores in response to other factors such as ill health or stress.
Alzheimer's disease is a degenerative disease that undermines brain cells and their ability to communicate. It leads to memory loss and changes to behaviour and mood.
