The human genome is composed of viral DNA: Viral homologues of the protein products cause Alzheimer&amp;apos;s disease and others via autoimmune mechanisms.

Carter, Christopher

doi:10.1038/npre.2010.4765

Cited by 1 publication

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References 64 publications

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“…It is even relevant to human genetic diseases as the polyglutamine repeats observed in Huntington's disease and spinocerebellar ataxias align with very common viruses (the ubiquitous HHV-6) while the cystic fibrosis mutant aligns with pseudomonas and staphylococcal phages, whose bacterial hosts have been found to shorten the lifespan of these patients. The London mutation in Alzheimer's disease converts the surrounding peptide to a vatch that is homologous to proteins from the rhinoviruses that cause the common cold [ 26 , 27 , 32 , 33 ]. Every human protein so far screened by the author, without a single exception, displays this type of homology to particular but specific sets of virus for each protein.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Alzheimer's Disease: A Pathogenetic Autoimmune Disorder Caused by Herpes Simplex in a Gene-Dependent Manner

Carter

2010

International Journal of Alzheimer's Disease

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Herpes simplex is implicated in Alzheimer's disease and viral infection produces Alzheimer's disease like pathology in mice. The virus expresses proteins containing short contiguous amino acid stretches (5–9aa “vatches” = viralmatches) homologous to APOE4, clusterin, PICALM, and complement receptor 1, and to over 100 other gene products relevant to Alzheimer's disease, which are also homologous to proteins expressed by other pathogens implicated in Alzheimer's disease. Such homology, reiterated at the DNA level, suggests that gene association studies have been tracking infection, as well as identifying key genes, demonstrating a role for pathogens as causative agents. Vatches may interfere with the function of their human counterparts, acting as dummy ligands, decoy receptors, or via interactome interference. They are often immunogenic, and antibodies generated in response to infection may target their human counterparts, producing protein knockdown, or generating autoimmune responses that may kill the neurones in which the human homologue resides, a scenario supported by immune activation in Alzheimer's disease. These data may classify Alzheimer's disease as an autoimmune disorder created by pathogen mimicry of key Alzheimer's disease-related proteins. It may well be prevented by vaccination and regular pathogen detection and elimination, and perhaps stemmed by immunosuppression or antibody adsorption-related therapies.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Alzheimer's Disease: A Pathogenetic Autoimmune Disorder Caused by Herpes Simplex in a Gene-Dependent Manner

Carter

2010

International Journal of Alzheimer's Disease

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

The human genome is composed of viral DNA: Viral homologues of the protein products cause Alzheimer's disease and others via autoimmune mechanisms.

Cited by 1 publication

References 64 publications

Alzheimer's Disease: A Pathogenetic Autoimmune Disorder Caused by Herpes Simplex in a Gene-Dependent Manner

Alzheimer's Disease: A Pathogenetic Autoimmune Disorder Caused by Herpes Simplex in a Gene-Dependent Manner

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