Viruses in Neurodegenerative Diseases: More Than Just Suspects in Crimes

Overview

Journal PLoS Pathog

Specialty Microbiology

Date 2022 Aug 4

PMID 35925897

Authors

Pascal Leblanc

Ina Maja Vorberg

Affiliations

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Abstract

Neurodegenerative diseases (NDs) such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease are fatal neurological diseases that can be of idiopathic, genetic, or even infectious origin, as in the case of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies. The etiological factors that lead to neurodegeneration remain unknown but likely involve a combination of aging, genetic risk factors, and environmental stressors. Accumulating evidence hints at an association of viruses with neurodegenerative disorders and suggests that virus-induced neuroinflammation and perturbation of neuronal protein quality control can be involved in the early steps of disease development. In this review, we focus on emerging evidence for a correlation between NDs and viral infection and discuss how viral manipulations of cellular processes can affect the formation and dissemination of disease-associated protein aggregates.

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