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REVIEW article

Front. Neurosci.
Sec. Neurodegeneration
Volume 18 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fnins.2024.1513095

Alzheimer's Disease and Infectious Agents: A Comprehensive Review of Pathogenic Mechanisms and MicroRNA Roles Potential roles of infectious agents in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease: A review of the literature

Provisionally accepted
Seyyed Sam Mehdi Hosseininasab Seyyed Sam Mehdi Hosseininasab 1*Rasoul Ebrahimi Rasoul Ebrahimi 2*Shirin Yaghoobpoor Shirin Yaghoobpoor 2Kiarash Kazemi Kiarash Kazemi 3*Yaser Khakpour Yaser Khakpour 4Ramtin Hajibeygi Ramtin Hajibeygi 3Ashraf Mohamadkhani Ashraf Mohamadkhani 5Mobina Fathi Mobina Fathi 2*Kimia Vakili Kimia Vakili 2Arian Tavasol Arian Tavasol 2Zohreh Tutunchian Zohreh Tutunchian 2*Tara Fazel Tara Fazel 6*Mohammad Fathi Mohammad Fathi 7*Mohammadreza Hajiesmaeili Mohammadreza Hajiesmaeili 8*
  • 1 Assistant Professor, Fellowship of Neuroanesthesia, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences Anesthesiology Research Center, Tehran, Iran, Tehran, Iran
  • 2 School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran, Tehran, Iran
  • 3 School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran, Tehran, Iran
  • 4 Faculty of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran, Tehran, Iran
  • 5 Liver and Pancreatobiliary Diseases Research Center, Digestive Diseases Research Institute, Shariati Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran, Tehran, Iran
  • 6 Student Research Committee, School of International Campus, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran, Tehran, Iran
  • 7 Professor, Critical Care Quality Improvement Research Center, Shahid Modarres Hospital, and Department of Anesthesiology, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran, Tehran, Iran
  • 8 Anesthesia and Critical Care Department, Critical Care Quality Improvement Research Center, Loghman Hakim Hospital, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran, Tehran, Iran

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is the most prevalent type of dementia and is characterized by the presence of senile plaques and neurofibrillary tangles. There are various theories concerning the causes of AD, but the connection between viral and bacterial infections and their potential role in the pathogenesis of AD has become a fascinating area of research for the field. Various viruses such as Herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1), Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), Cytomegalovirus (CMV), influenza viruses, and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), as well as bacteria such as Chlamydia pneumoniae (CP), Helicobacter pylori (HP), Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. gingivalis), Spirochetes and eukaryotic unicellular parasites (e.g., Toxoplasma gondii), have been linked to AD due to their ability to activate the immune system, induce inflammation and increase oxidative stress, thereby leading to cognitive decline and AD. In addition, microRNAs (miRNAs) might play a crucial role in the pathogenesis mechanisms of these pathogens since they are utilized to target various protein-coding genes, allowing for immune evasion, maintaining latency, and suppressing cellular signaling molecules. Also, they can regulate gene expression in human cells. This article provides an overview of the association between AD and various infectious agents, with a focus on the mechanisms by which these pathogens may be related to the pathogenesis of AD. These findings suggest important areas for further research to be explored in future studies.

    Keywords: Alzheimer's disease, pathogen, viral infection, Bacterial infection, parasite

    Received: 17 Oct 2024; Accepted: 02 Dec 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Hosseininasab, Ebrahimi, Yaghoobpoor, Kazemi, Khakpour, Hajibeygi, Mohamadkhani, Fathi, Vakili, Tavasol, Tutunchian, Fazel, Fathi and Hajiesmaeili. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence:
    Seyyed Sam Mehdi Hosseininasab, Assistant Professor, Fellowship of Neuroanesthesia, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences Anesthesiology Research Center, Tehran, Iran, Tehran, Iran
    Rasoul Ebrahimi, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran, Tehran, Iran
    Kiarash Kazemi, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran, Tehran, Iran
    Mobina Fathi, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran, Tehran, Iran
    Zohreh Tutunchian, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran, Tehran, Iran
    Tara Fazel, Student Research Committee, School of International Campus, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran, Tehran, Iran
    Mohammad Fathi, Professor, Critical Care Quality Improvement Research Center, Shahid Modarres Hospital, and Department of Anesthesiology, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran, Tehran, Iran
    Mohammadreza Hajiesmaeili, Anesthesia and Critical Care Department, Critical Care Quality Improvement Research Center, Loghman Hakim Hospital, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran, Tehran, Iran

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.