Reacción a "Reactions: five cases of Alzheimer's described that may have been transmitted by growth hormone treatments from cadavers"

This is a very interesting study providing further insight on the risk of a transmissible form of amyloid beta, a protein implicated in cerebral amyloid angiopathy and Alzheimer’s disease. 

As the authors noted, based on current evidence, the risk of acquiring a transmissible form of amyloid is very low. No one should reconsider or forego any medical procedure, especially for blood transfusion or neurosurgery which saves many lives worldwide every year. 

However, it is always important that we continue to review and scrutinise evidence where public health is concerned. In previous correspondence involving several experts in the field (see reference), we have called for increased vigilance and long-term monitoring, particularly following procedures in early life that involve human fluids or tissues. Practical steps recommended include conducting larger epidemiological studies, continued investigation of risk using animal models, and the development of low cost, high-throughput sensitive tests for amyloid beta and other proteins to facilitate the precautionary sterilisation of, for example, neurosurgical instruments.