Powassan virus triggers Alzheimer’s-like protein buildup in mice
Infection experiments in 10- and 50-week-old mice found different brain immune responses by age and protein buildup that persisted in older survivors.
Limit: The staining could not distinguish amyloid precursor protein from amyloid-beta
Edited by Boris Djordjevic · AgingResearch.News
In experiments in male and female C57BL/6J mice aged 10 or 50 weeks, researchers compared brains after Powassan virus infection with uninfected controls. They measured gene activity in individual brain cells from female mice 10 days after infection. Young mice mounted strong antiviral immune responses. Older mice showed gene activity patterns associated with neurodegenerative diseases in brain support cells and neurons.
Brain staining indicated buildup of amyloid precursor protein, its related fragment amyloid-beta, or both, in both age groups. These molecules are associated with Alzheimer’s disease. At 30 days after infection, older survivors retained this signal despite no detectable viral protein.
Why it matters
People who survive Powassan infection can have lasting neurological problems. The authors suggest that an Alzheimer’s-like process may help account for these problems.
Caveats
The staining could not distinguish amyloid precursor protein from amyloid-beta; it did not establish Alzheimer’s disease. The gene-activity analysis used only two infected females and one control per age group, and these mouse experiments did not test human outcomes.
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