Tuberculosis vaccine's link to reduced dementia risk gains mechanistic support
Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG), a vaccine widely used to prevent tuberculosis and treat bladder cancer, may also have properties that reduce the risk for dementia, according to new findings in a study of mice. BCG is a live, weakened vaccine made from an altered strain of the bacterium Mycobacterium bovis.
Researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine have discovered that a tuberculosis vaccine called Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) may reduce the risk of dementia in mice. The study, published in Science Advances, found that mice genetically engineered to have dementia symptoms and given the BCG vaccine showed less evidence of tau tangles in their brains, reduced immune cell activation and lower rates of memory loss compared to unvaccinated mice.
The researchers believe that BCG's immune-stimulating properties, known as "trained immunity," may be responsible for these protective effects. In the future, this could potentially lead to new methods for preventing Alzheimer's disease.
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