BCG and Plasma Amyloid in Non-Demented Adults

Summary

BCG vaccination, the most widely used vaccination in the world, is used to reduce risk of tuberculosis infection; it is used for other mycobacterial infections as well, benefiting leprosy and Buruli ulcer. BCG has "heterologous" effects that aids in an array of non-mycobacterial and viral infections as well as bladder cancer. It is the heterologous effect, sometimes called the "off-target" effect that may offer benefit in Alzheimer's disease. Population studies and studies of adults receiving BCG show a lessened risk of Alzheimer's disease. The study will see if BCG vaccination will alter a plasma test for amyloid, a biomarker for cerebral amyloid.

Timeline

Start

2020-11-09

Primary completion

2021-12-04

Completion

2021-12-05

Publications

• Background Schindler SE, Bollinger JG, Ovod V, Mawuenyega KG, Li Y, Gordon BA, Holtzman DM, Morris JC, Benzinger TLS, Xiong C, Fagan AM, Bateman RJ. High-precision plasma beta-amyloid 42/40 predicts current and future brain amyloidosis. Neurology. 2019 Oct 22;93(17):e1647-e1659. doi: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000008081. Epub 2019 Aug 1.
• Background Gofrit ON, Klein BY, Cohen IR, Ben-Hur T, Greenblatt CL, Bercovier H. Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) therapy lowers the incidence of Alzheimer's disease in bladder cancer patients. PLoS One. 2019 Nov 7;14(11):e0224433. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0224433. eCollection 2019.
• Background Gofrit ON, Bercovier H, Klein BY, Cohen IR, Ben-Hur T, Greenblatt CL. Can immunization with Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) protect against Alzheimer's disease? Med Hypotheses. 2019 Feb;123:95-97. doi: 10.1016/j.mehy.2019.01.007. Epub 2019 Jan 11.
• Background Dow CT. Proposing BCG Vaccination for Mycobacterium avium ss. paratuberculosis (MAP) Associated Autoimmune Diseases. Microorganisms. 2020 Feb 5;8(2):212. doi: 10.3390/microorganisms8020212.
• Background Lurain NS, Hanson BA, Martinson J, Leurgans SE, Landay AL, Bennett DA, Schneider JA. Virological and immunological characteristics of human cytomegalovirus infection associated with Alzheimer disease. J Infect Dis. 2013 Aug 15;208(4):564-72. doi: 10.1093/infdis/jit210. Epub 2013 May 9.
• Background Westman G, Berglund D, Widen J, Ingelsson M, Korsgren O, Lannfelt L, Sehlin D, Lidehall AK, Eriksson BM. Increased inflammatory response in cytomegalovirus seropositive patients with Alzheimer's disease. PLoS One. 2014 May 7;9(5):e96779. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0096779. eCollection 2014.
• Background Luz Correa B, Ornaghi AP, Cerutti Muller G, Engroff P, Pestana Lopes R, Gomes da Silva Filho I, Bosch JA, Bonorino C, Bauer ME. The inverted CD4:CD8 ratio is associated with cytomegalovirus, poor cognitive and functional states in older adults. Neuroimmunomodulation. 2014;21(4):206-12. doi: 10.1159/000356827. Epub 2014 Feb 6.

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Indications