Cold sore virus could be the clue to the cause of 60 per cent of Alzheimer's cases



The virus HSV1 could offer hope to up to 60 per cent of Alzheimer's sufferers



The virus that causes cold sores may be one of the main causes of Alzheimer's disease, according to research that suggests that existing drugs could be used to treat the most common form of dementia.

Scientists at the University of Manchester have found new evidence that the herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV1) could be in up to 60 per cent of Alzheimer's cases.

The research, which was published in the Journal of Pathology, is in preliminary stages, but should the HSV1 role be confirmed, it could transform the way in which the debilitating disease is understood and treated.

The news is particularly exciting as products to treat the HSV1 virus are already widely available. Drugs including acyclovir and Zovirax have been on the market for many years, and are available over the counter.

'One thing that is exciting about our research is that we already have drugs that have been used for a relatively long time against HSV1, which are cheap and well tolerated. If we are right, there is a good chance we could make progress quite quickly,' said Professor Ruth Itzhaki, who led the research.

The next step for the scientists would be to test the theory in animal models, after which Itzhaki believes they could establish whether HSV1 is genuinely involved in Alzheimer's within a year. Currently the group is struggling to obtain funding for this next stage of research.

The group would then test the antiviral drugs on patients in the early stages of the disease in a three- to five-year clinical trial.

The HSV1 virus affects most adults, causing cold sores in 20-40 per cent of people. The findings do not indicate that many, or even most cold sore sufferers will get Alzheimer's.