Could Having MS Help Shield Against Alzheimer's Disease?

Multiple sclerosis could hold clues to treating or preventing Alzheimer’s disease People with MS are far less likely to have high blood levels of amyloid, which forms toxic plaques in Alzheimer’s patients The more typical a person’s MS history, the less likely they are to have amyloid plaques TUESDAY, Aug. 27, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- People with multiple sclerosis appear to have a lower risk of developing , a new study suggests. MS patients are far less likely to have elevated blood levels of toxic proteins that form amyloid plaques in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s, researchers report.

“Our findings imply that some component of the biology of multiple sclerosis, or the genetics of MS patients, is protective against Alzheimer’s disease,” said lead researcher , an assistant professor of neurology and radiology with Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. “If we could identify what aspect is protective and apply it in a controlled way, that could inform therapeutic strategies for Alzheimer's disease,” Brier added in a university news release.

Researchers undertook the study after noticing that MS patients under their care didn’t develop Alzheimer’s as they grew older, even if they had a family history of the disease. “I noticed that I couldn't find a single MS patient of mine who had typical Alzheimer’s disease,” said senior researcher , chair of neuroimmunology at the Washington University School of Medicine. “If they had co.