Can we refute a role for infections in Alzheimer's disease pathogenesis?

Authors

• Zena K Chatila
• Michael R Duggan
• Esther Silberberg
• Juan Fernandez
• Lavinia A Auber
• Elizabeth M Bradshaw
• Nikki M. Schultek, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic MedicineFollow

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

3-1-2026

Abstract

While a growing body of literature suggests a role for infections in Alzheimer's disease (AD), microbial contributions to AD remains a contentious topic, in part due to challenges in reconciling the positive evidence with studies reporting null findings. Here, we examine the evidence that argues against a role for infections in AD, while offering mechanistic hypotheses that may account for both the negative and positive findings, including dysregulated host immunity and gene-environment interactions of AD-associated genes.

Publication Title

Alzheimers & Dementia

Volume

22

Issue

3

First Page

e71288

PubMed ID

41867029

Comments

This article was published in Alzheimer's & Dementia, Volume 22, Issue 3.

The published version is available at https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.71288.

Copyright © 2026 The Author(s). CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.

Recommended Citation

Chatila, Zena K; Duggan, Michael R; Silberberg, Esther; Fernandez, Juan; Auber, Lavinia A; Bradshaw, Elizabeth M; and Schultek, Nikki M., "Can we refute a role for infections in Alzheimer's disease pathogenesis?" (2026). PCOM Scholarly Works. 2365.
https://digitalcommons.pcom.edu/scholarly_papers/2365 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.71288