Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41867029›Full record

ArticleAlzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association2026

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

Zena K Chatila, Michael R Duggan, Esther Silberberg, Juan Fernandez, Lavinia A Auber, Elizabeth M Bradshaw, Nikki M Schultek

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Zena K ChatilaDepartment of Neurology, The Carol and Gene Ludwig Center for Research on Neurodegeneration, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-4383-6305
Michael R DugganThe Alzheimer's Pathobiome Initiative, Wake Forest, North Carolina, USA.
Esther SilberbergThe Alzheimer's Pathobiome Initiative, Wake Forest, North Carolina, USA.
Juan FernandezThe Alzheimer's Pathobiome Initiative, Wake Forest, North Carolina, USA.
Lavinia A AuberThe Alzheimer's Pathobiome Initiative, Wake Forest, North Carolina, USA.
Elizabeth M BradshawDepartment of Neurology, The Carol and Gene Ludwig Center for Research on Neurodegeneration, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA.
Nikki M SchultekThe Alzheimer's Pathobiome Initiative, Wake Forest, North Carolina, USA.ORCID 0000-0003-3390-3487

Funding

US National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Aging F30AG074618US National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Aging R01AG067581-05US National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Aging R01AG076018-05
6 · The paper itself

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.

Indexed as

Alzheimer DiseaseInfectionsAnimalsGene-Environment InteractionHumansamyloid betaAPOEapolipoprotein EHSV‐1infectionmicrogliavirus

Identifiers

PMID41867029
PMCPMC13093407

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.