Do Blue-Green algae cause Alzheimer’s?

Neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s are devastating illnesses which are amongst the leading causes of death within our ageing population, however the causes remain largely unknown. A new study this week suggests that chronic exposure to an environmental toxin may increase the risk of developing a neurodegenerative illness.

Protein deposits in the brain, similar to those seen in Alzheimer’s patients had developed in the brains of vervet monkeys after being fed the toxin in blue-green algae. To tell us more about the research and what this means, we were joined by Dr. Rachel Dunlop, a Visiting Associate at Macquarie University.

 

Produced by Madeline McIvor

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