A New Alzheimers' Hypothesis?

Hmmm.
the idea uniting them is a big one: that Alzheimer’s is caused by germs. And not some exotic new germ but the same microscopic organisms that cause things like gum disease and cold sores. Most brains accumulate pathogens as they age-blood vessels become leakier, making the blood-brain barrier more porous. These scientists think some of the germs that infiltrate the brain may be the instigators of the changes that become Alzheimer’s.

And, of course,
Moir has managed to make headway despite limited support from the National Institutes of Health, which has favored investigations that view beta-amyloid as the exclusive cause of Alzheimer’s. Since his first and only NIH grant ran out in 2014, Moir, despite his pioneering work, has struggled to land a second. This lack of funding could change soon, thanks to the efforts of individuals like Leslie Norins, M.D., Ph.D., a retired publisher of medical newsletters who is offering a $1 million prize to the person(s) who can prove a role for microbes in Alzheimer’s.

As long-time readers know, I'm not a fan of how tax dollars are handed out to researchers. It is very much like high school cliques, unfortunately. Eisenhower's prescient warnings about Big Government Science have been shown to be extremely well-founded.