By Katarina A. Lewczyk | Date published: January 14, 2025
Elaine Lim Among Researchers to Reveal Connections Between Cytomegalovirus and Alzheimer's Disease
Elaine Lim, PhD, assistant professor of medicine in the Division of Innate Immunity, and faculty member in the Program in Innate Immunity, is among researchers at UMass Chan who contributed to a study revealing a connection between human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) and Alzheimer's disease. The study, led by Arizona State University and the Banner Alzheimer's Institute, investigated the linkage between viral infections such as HCMV and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease. The team’s findings, published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association, found a connection between a chronic gut infection caused by HCMV and the development of Alzheimer’s in some people. The results of the study could lead to new preventative measures and interventions, such as vaccines.