Quote:
Originally Posted by reverett123
First a quote from the above-
"Hard evidence of such a link has been hard to find, however. So Richard Smeyne of the St Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, sprayed a solution containing a highly pathogenic subtype of H5N1 avian flu into the noses of 225 mice. The team found that the virus infected nerves in the gut, then entered the brain stem and finally reached the brain. In the brain, it led to chronic activation of the immune system, even long after the viral infection had been cleared.
This immune system activity later led to protein aggregation and neuron loss in the brain, and to symptoms like tremor and loss of coordination – the hallmarks of Parkinson's and Alzheimer's."
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Rick,
This is all really fascinating, but I am confused. We're saying that neurodegenerative diseases like PD and Alzheimer's may start due to a viral infection entering our system through the intestines or nasal cavity? With the intestine to brain connection, I automatically think of autism as it is one of the leading theories in that disorder (I think).
In the example you cite, it would seem that the virus in and of itself can cause Parkinsonism. So do environmental toxins and/or genetics no longer play a role? Or, is the virus a singular causative for only some of us? Also, does this mean that the virus can be redressed somehow halting disease progression? These are just a few questions that come to mind...
Laura