Title:Infectious Agents and Neurodegenerative Diseases: Exploring the Links
Volume: 17
Issue: 12
Author(s): Mohammad Zubair Alam, Qamre Alam, Mohammad Amjad Kamal, Asif Ahmad Jiman-Fatani, Esam I. Azhar, Mohammad Azhar Khan and Absarul Haque
Affiliation:
Keywords:
Neurodegenrations, Inflammation, infection, Mycoplasma, Chlamydophila pneumoniae, Borelia bugdorferi, MS,
ALS, AD, LD.
Abstract: Recent studies have shown that bacterial and viral infections are risk factors for various
neurodegenerative diseases such as Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Multiple Sclerosis (MS),
Alzheimer’s disease (AD), and Lyme disease (LD). However, it is still controversial how the infections
play a role in neurological diseases progression. Infections in central nervous system may lead
multiple damages in infected and neighboring cells. The infection leads to the activation of inflammatory
processes and host immune responses, which acts as defense mechanism and also causes damage
to the host neuronal functions and viability. Several bacterial and viral pathogens have been reported
for neurodegeneration, such as the production and deposit of misfolded protein aggregates, oxidative
stress, deficient autophagic processes, synaptopathies and neuronal death. These effects may act in
combination with other factors, like aging, metabolic diseases and the genetic makeup of the host. We
will focus in this review on the possible link between neurodegeneration and infections particularly
Chlamydophila pneumoniae, Borrelia burgdorferi, Mycoplasma etc.
