Researchers have shown that Familial Alzheimer’s disease can be transmitted through bone marrow transplants, as published in the journal Stem Cell Reports on March 28. By transplanting bone marrow stem cells from mice with a hereditary form of Alzheimer’s disease into normal lab mice, the recipients developed Alzheimer’s disease at an accelerated rate.
The study emphasizes the role of amyloid that originates outside of the brain in the development of Alzheimer’s disease, shifting the understanding of Alzheimer’s from a brain-exclusive disease to a systemic one. The researchers suggest that donors of blood, tissue, organs, and stem cells should undergo screening for Alzheimer’s disease to prevent unintentional transmission during transfusions and cellular therapies.
According to senior author Wilfred Jefferies, an immunologist at the University of British Columbia, “This supports the idea that Alzheimer’s is a systemic disease where amyloids expressed outside of the brain contribute to central nervous system pathology. As we further investigate this mechanism, Alzheimer’s disease may just be the beginning, and we must have better controls and screening for donors used in transplants and transfers of stem cells or blood products.”
To test the impact of a peripheral source of amyloid on Alzheimer’s development, the researchers transplanted bone marrow stem cells from mice carrying a familial form of the disease into two strains of recipient mice. The recipients showed signs of cognitive decline earlier than expected, with behavioral differences appearing as early as 6 months post-transplant.
The team observed cognitive decline, molecular hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease, and amyloid buildup in the brains of recipient mice, indicating that the disease can be transferred via bone marrow transplants. Further studies will explore the transfer of disease through other forms of transplants and transfusions, as well as investigating disease transmission between species.
This research was funded by various organizations, including the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the University of British Columbia, among others.
