Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2018 Jul 14;18(9):55.
doi: 10.1007/s11910-018-0863-1.

Viral Hypothesis and Antiviral Treatment in Alzheimer's Disease

D P Devanand  1
Affiliations
Review

Viral Hypothesis and Antiviral Treatment in Alzheimer's Disease

D P Devanand. Curr Neurol Neurosci Rep. .

Abstract

Purpose of review: Viruses, particularly herpes simplex virus (HSV), may be a cause of Alzheimer's disease (AD). The evidence supporting the viral hypothesis suggests that antiviral treatment trials, which have not been conducted, are warranted.

Recent findings: HSV1 (oral herpes) and HSV2 (genital herpes) can trigger amyloid aggregation, and their DNA is common in amyloid plaques. HSV1 reactivation is associated with tau hyperphosphorylation and possibly tau propagation. Anti-HSV drugs reduce Aβ and p-tau accumulation in infected mouse brains. Clinically, after the initial oral infection, herpes simplex virus-1 (HSV1) becomes latent in the trigeminal ganglion and recurrent reactivation may produce neuronal damage and AD pathology. Clinical studies show cognitive impairment in HSV seropositive patients, and antiviral drugs show strong efficacy against HSV. An antiviral treatment trial in AD is clearly warranted. A phase II treatment trial with valacyclovir, an anti-HSV drug, recently began with evaluation of clinical and biomarker outcomes.

Keywords: Alzheimer’s disease; Amyloid; Antiviral treatment; Dementia; Tau; Viral hypothesis.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest Davangere P. Devanand reports grants from the National Institute of Aging and Avanir and personal fees from Acadia, Eisai, Genetech, and Axovant.

References

    1. Itzhaki RF. Herpes simplex virus type 1 and Alzheimer’s disease: increasing evidence for a major role of the virus. Front Aging Neurosci 2014;6:202. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Piacentini R, De Chiara G, Li Puma DD, Ripoli C, Marcocci ME, Garaci E, et al. HSV-1 and Alzheimer’s disease: more than a hypothesis. Front Pharmacol 2014;5:97. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Ball MJ. Limbic predilection in Alzheimer dementia: is reactivated herpesvirus involved? Can J Neurol Sci 1982;9(3):303–6. - PubMed
    1. Gannicliffe A, Sutton RN, Itzhaki RF. Viruses, brain and immuno-suppression. Psychol Med 1986;16(2):247–9. - PubMed
    1. Bradshaw MJ, Venkatesan A. Herpes simplex virus-1 encephalitis in adults: pathophysiology, diagnosis, and management. Neurotherapeutics 2016;13(3):493–508. - PMC - PubMed

MeSH terms

Substances