Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42442404›Full record

ArticleBrain : a journal of neurology2026

Cytomegalovirus-induced T cell responses accelerate Alzheimer's disease progression in mice.

Morgan Marsden, James E McLaren, Ryan J Bevan, Daisy Penn-Ripley, Michelle Somerville, Sarah N Lauder, Manon H Jones, Lila-Blythe Maros, Matthew R McGurk, Awen Gallimore and 7 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Brain : a journal of neurology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing 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

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Brain communications · 2025
    Review
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

17 authors.

Morgan MarsdenDivision of Infection and Immunity, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF14 4XN, UK.
James E McLarenDivision of Infection and Immunity, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF14 4XN, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-7021-5934
Ryan J BevanDementia Research Institute, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF24 4HQ, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-2557-2887
Daisy Penn-RipleyDivision of Infection and Immunity, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF14 4XN, UK.
Michelle SomervilleDivision of Infection and Immunity, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF14 4XN, UK.
Sarah N LauderDivision of Infection and Immunity, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF14 4XN, UK.
Manon H JonesDivision of Infection and Immunity, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF14 4XN, UK.
Lila-Blythe MarosDivision of Infection and Immunity, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF14 4XN, UK.
Matthew R McGurkDivision of Infection and Immunity, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF14 4XN, UK.
Awen GallimoreDivision of Infection and Immunity, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF14 4XN, UK.ORCID 0000-0001-6675-7004
David A PriceDivision of Infection and Immunity, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF14 4XN, UK.ORCID 0000-0001-9416-2737
Kelly L MinersDivision of Infection and Immunity, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF14 4XN, UK.
Kristin LadellDivision of Infection and Immunity, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF14 4XN, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-9856-2938
Florian A SiebzehnrublEuropean Cancer Stem Cell Research Institute, School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF24 4HQ, UK.ORCID 0000-0001-8411-8775
Timothy R HughesDivision of Infection and Immunity, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF14 4XN, UK.ORCID 0000-0003-2348-3490
Ian R HumphreysDivision of Infection and Immunity, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF14 4XN, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-9512-5337
Mathew ClementDivision of Infection and Immunity, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF14 4XN, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-9280-5281

Funding

Brain Tumour CharityBrain Tumour Charity Future Leader FellowJane Hodge FoundationMedical Research Council MR/X00922X/1MRC MR/S07709/1MRC MR/V000489/1MRC MR/X018318/1Wellcome TrustWellcome Trust 207503/Z/17/Z
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Infections have long been implicated as causative factors in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Multiple studies have further suggested a key role for herpesviruses, such as cytomegalovirus (CMV). Using transgenic 3xTg-AD mice, we demonstrate that systemic infection with the β-herpesvirus murine CMV (MCMV) accelerates the development of cognitive decline, tauopathy and synaptic loss in the hippocampus, all of which are key features of AD. Accelerated disease progression after infection was associated with substantial lymphocyte infiltration into the brain, dominated by MCMV-specific effector memory CD8+ T cells expressing CXCR3. T cell receptor analyses revealed that clonally diverse virus-specific CD8+ T cells were selectively recruited into the brain during the development of AD. T cell depletion or treatment with the antiviral drug valganciclovir during chronic infection reduced lymphocytic infiltrates in the brain and reversed cognitive decline. These data provide a mechanistic link between chronic viral infections and the development of AD.

Indexed as

Alzheimer DiseaseCD8-Positive T-LymphocytesMuromegalovirusT-LymphocytesAnimalsBrainDisease Models, AnimalDisease ProgressionGanciclovirMiceMice, TransgenicValganciclovirGanciclovirValganciclovirAlzheimer’s diseasecognitionherpesvirusneurodegenerationT cellsvirus

Identifiers

PMID42442404
PMCPMC13548865

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

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 Socratic graph.