New studies add evidence to a possible link between Alzheimer’s and herpesvirus

A-beta plaque buildup could be the brain’s way of protecting itself from the virus

brain scan of cerebral atrophy

A VIRAL LINK? A brain showing cerebral atrophy, a loss of nerve cells, one of the main signs of Alzheimer’s disease.

Atthapon Raksthaput/Shutterstock

Joel Dudley and his colleagues were searching through datasets for Alzheimer’s disease vulnerabilities to exploit in creating a treatment when they stumbled across a surprising correlation: Many of the brains they looked at had signs of herpesvirus infection.