Convergence of neuroinflammation across major neurotropic viral exposomes in AD and ADRD - PubMed
3 hours ago
- #Alzheimer's disease
- #viral exposomes
- #neuroinflammation
- Evidence links multiple neurotropic viruses (e.g., HSV-1, HIV, CMV, SARS-CoV-2) to increased risk of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (AD/ADRD) through lifetime exposures.
- Convergent pathways include chronic neuroinflammation via innate immune activation, microglial priming, NLRP3 inflammasome, and proinflammatory cytokines (e.g., IL-1β, TNF-α).
- Viruses modulate amyloid-β metabolism, promote tau hyperphosphorylation, impair autophagy-lysosomal systems, and compromise blood-brain barrier integrity.
- Systems biology identifies overlapping signaling hubs (NF-κB, MAPK, PI3K-Akt, cGAS-STING) that amplify neurodegenerative cascades, especially in genetically susceptible individuals like APOE4 carriers.
- Recurrent viral exposures may act as disease modifiers, accelerating neurodegeneration, highlighting opportunities for early diagnosis, prevention, and targeted therapies.