A small group of Alzheimer’s patients in the UK, ranging from their 30s to 50s, are believed to have developed the disease as a result of growth hormone treatments they received as children. The hormone had been prepared from human cadavers, and it is now known that it could transfer bits of protein into the recipients’ brains, including beta-amyloid protein that is associated with Alzheimer’s. These are the first known cases of transmitted Alzheimer’s disease, although experts highlight that the disease is not contagious in the usual sense. The findings raise questions about whether beta-amyloid alone is sufficient to cause Alzheimer’s and the role of other factors.
https://www.statnews.com/2024/01/29/first-transmitted-alzheimers-disease-cases-growth-hormone-cadavers/