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Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease is an Alzheimer's disease-related dementia

Joel C Watts1, Christina J Sigurdson2, Debbie Yobs3

  • 1Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Trends in Molecular Medicine
|April 15, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD), a prion disease, shares similarities with Alzheimer's disease-related dementias (ADRDs). Including CJD in ADRDs could accelerate research and therapeutic development for neurodegenerative diseases.

Area of Science:

  • Neurology
  • Neuroscience
  • Pathology

Background:

  • Neurodegenerative dementias like Alzheimer's disease (AD) and AD-related dementias (ADRDs) are significant health concerns.
  • Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) is a distinct, rapidly progressive dementia caused by prion accumulation.
  • Current classifications exclude CJD from the ADRD group despite shared pathological features.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To discuss the impact of prion research on understanding ADRD pathogenesis.
  • To advocate for the inclusion of CJD within the ADRD classification.
  • To highlight the potential benefits of integrating CJD research into ADRD initiatives.

Main Methods:

  • This is an opinion article, presenting a viewpoint based on existing research.
  • Discussion focuses on the implications of prion research for ADRDs.
  • Analysis of similarities between CJD and ADRDs.

Main Results:

  • Prion research has significantly advanced the understanding of ADRD molecular pathogenesis.
  • Prion research has informed the development of diagnostic tools for ADRDs.
  • Therapeutic strategies for ADRDs can benefit from insights derived from prion disease research.

Conclusions:

  • Including CJD in the ADRD group can foster greater research collaboration.
  • Accelerated understanding of shared neurodegenerative mechanisms is anticipated.
  • The ultimate goal is to develop effective therapies to slow neurodegeneration across related dementia types.

Keywords:
Alzheimer’s diseaseCreutzfeldt–Jakob diseasedementianeurodegenerationprionsprotein misfolding

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