Researchers call for investigation into potential blood transfusion risk from harmful brain proteins
Researchers from UCL and University College London Hospitals have called for further investigation into whether blood transfusions could inadvertently transmit harmful proteins associated with Alzheimer's disease and cerebral amyloid angiopathy.
In a review and opinion article published in The Lancet, the researchers consider evidence suggesting that amyloid-beta, a protein linked to both conditions, may in rare circumstances be transmissible through medical procedures.
They stress that blood transfusions save lives and that a possible risk has not been established. However, they argue that further research is needed and that additional safety measures may warrant consideration while the evidence is investigated.
The review examines a large Scandinavian epidemiological study published in 2023, which found that recipients of blood from donors who later developed multiple brain bleeds, a marker of cerebral amyloid angiopathy, had a higher risk of brain bleeds themselves.
The findings do not demonstrate that amyloid-beta or cerebral amyloid angiopathy can be transmitted through blood transfusion. However, the authors say they raise questions about whether such a mechanism could be involved.
Amyloid-beta has previously been shown to be transmissible through certain historical medical treatments which are no longer used.
Researchers have identified cases of medically acquired cerebral amyloid angiopathy in patients who developed brain bleeds at an unusually young age decades after receiving transplants of cadaveric dura mater during childhood.
In 2024, the UCL-led team also reported five cases of acquired Alzheimer's disease in patients who had received a type of human growth hormone derived from the pituitary glands of deceased individuals as children. The patients developed early-onset dementia decades after treatment.
Professor Collinge said: "Blood transfusions are important and save many lives. However, to ensure that they are as safe as they can possibly be, it's important that we thoroughly investigate any potential risks."
The researchers note that the potential risks associated with contemporary medical procedures have yet to be fully evaluated, partly because of the technical challenges involved in developing tests capable of detecting amyloid-beta infectivity.
The article also draws lessons from the UK's Infected Blood Inquiry, which examined how thousands of people were infected with HIV and hepatitis C through contaminated blood and blood products.
The researchers contrast that experience with the UK's earlier response to the theoretical risk of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, when precautionary measures including the removal of white blood cells from donated blood were introduced before evidence of transmission had been established.
Professor Collinge said: "The Infected Blood Inquiry provides a cautionary tale in waiting for absolute certainty before making decisions on patient safety.
"We also think it's important to be open and transparent about possible risks of amyloid-beta transmission, so that we can proactively mitigate any potential risk to patients."
The study calls for further research to establish whether amyloid-beta pathology could be transmitted through blood and, if so, whether additional safeguards for blood transfusion recipients may be required.
Related Content
Cross Sense smart specs win Longitude dementia award £1mill grand prize
CrossSense, the smart glasses-based AI assistant designed to help early stage dementia sufferers with daily life tasks, has won the …
Firm claims successful results for test identifying 50 cancers
US company Grail claims that results for its new blood test suggest it is capable of diagnosing more than 50 …
Trials tackle if menstrual cycle contributes to women’s soccer injury
Football governing body FIFA is funding Kingston University to research whether the menstrual cycle is a contributing factor to a …
