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National Prion Clinic

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Iatrogenic Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy (CAA)

  • Iatrogenic cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) is a rare and newly described form of cerebral amyloid angiopathy.
  • “Iatrogenic” means relating to, or caused by, medical procedures or treatments
  • We work closely with the UCL Stroke Research Centre, which has extensive expertise in the diagnosis and treatment of CAA, in trying to better understand this new condition
What is cerebral amyloid angiopathy?
  • Cerebral amyloid angiopathy occurs when a protein, called amyloid-beta protein, builds up in the blood vessels of the brain and covering tissues (the meninges).
  • Cerebral amyloid angiopathy can cause strokes due to bleeding in the brain (“intracerebral haemorrhage”).
  • It can also be associated with memory problems, and is often present in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease
Who are we and what do we do?

The MRC Prion Unit at UCL is a research unit which studies diseases caused by misshapen proteins. The human body contains many proteins, each of which has a different role in the body; each protein has a unique shape, which allows it to perform its function. When these shapes go wrong, proteins can build up where they shouldn’t, causing disease. On rare occasions, diseases caused by misshapen proteins can be passed between people via medical or surgical procedures.

Our Unit has previously been involved in work on this form of disease transmission and has experience of informing people of their risk of developing diseases in this way.
We also provide help and advice to people who have developed or are at risk of developing these conditions.

Research in iatrogenic CAA

The following studies are underway in iatrogenic CAA:

  • UK database for iatrogenic CAA