Research Links Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Macular Degeneration and MS to Shared Infections

An optometric physician and independent researcher says four major neurodegenerative diseases may share a common biological origin tied to chronic infection and immune dysfunction. The framework, outlined in a new book and conference presentations, is intended to inform prevention and investigational treatment approaches.

Why it matters: - Dr. Jeremy W. McMeen’s research argues that Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, macular degeneration and multiple sclerosis may have a shared cause instead of four separate disease pathways. - If the framework holds up, it could change how medicine thinks about early detection, prevention and treatment for degenerative disease. - McMeen says the model could also have implications beyond these conditions, including possible links to other diseases and some cancers.

What happened: - McMeen, an optometric physician and independent researcher based in Superior, Nebraska, released a book that presents his disease model: Macular Degeneration, Alzheimer's Disease, Parkinson's Disease, and Multiple Sclerosis: The True Cause and Treatment. - The book is published by Dorrance Publishing and is available now. - McMeen presented related research at the 19th International Conference on Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Diseases and Related Neurological Disorders in Vienna in April 2025. - McMeen has been invited to return for the 20th conference in Copenhagen this year. - He also spoke at the Neurology World Conference in Miami in September and presented at the 4th International Conference on Neurology & Neurological Disorders (Neurology 2026) by ScitechSeries.

The details: - The research proposes that several degenerative diseases develop through three interacting drivers over time: chronic viral infection, harmful bacterial infection and an overactive immune response that damages healthy tissue. - The model says these diseases begin as whole-body inflammatory conditions long before symptoms appear. - The research highlights Human Herpesvirus-6 as one example of a virus that can remain dormant for years and reactivate when immune function is stressed. - The work also points to bacteria associated with gum disease and respiratory infections as possible contributors. - The research says some of these bacteria have been identified outside their usual locations, including in nervous system tissue. - McMeen said he has examined patients, kept treatment records and stabilized patients with these conditions. - In a direct statement, McMeen said his conclusion is that these diseases are caused by a viral-bacterial infection and odontoblast cells, and that they can be treated. - Odontoblast cells, which form dentin in teeth, also function as immune defenders by detecting infection and releasing antimicrobial substances. - The research argues that chronic activation of those cells could contribute to abnormal calcium deposits, toxic protein buildup and progressive tissue damage. - The model links those processes to hallmark features seen in Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, macular degeneration and MS. - The research says disease-related proteins can circulate through the bloodstream, inflammation often begins outside the brain and damage builds system-wide before symptoms show up. - McMeen proposes a treatment framework that addresses infection and immune dysfunction together rather than focusing on symptoms alone. - The proposed components are azithromycin, elderberry and curcumin. - The research describes azithromycin as a prescription antibiotic with deep tissue penetration and sustained antibacterial activity. - The research includes elderberry for reported antiviral, antibacterial and immune-modulating properties. - The research includes curcumin, derived from turmeric, for its proposed effects on pathological immune activity and toxic protein accumulation. - McMeen says the approach is investigational, not established medical practice, and needs further clinical validation.

Between the lines: - The pitch is less about a single new drug and more about a unifying theory that reframes several major diseases as overlapping inflammatory disorders. - The emphasis on hidden infections reflects a broader attempt to move upstream, before irreversible neurological damage accumulates. - The book’s treatment model will need independent clinical evidence before it can be considered a standard of care.

What’s next: - McMeen is available for interview as he continues to promote the research and its proposed treatment framework. - He says he wants to help people understand the causes of symptoms tied to debilitating diseases and how those effects might be prevented, delayed or reversed. - The next test for the theory will be whether clinical research can validate the infection-immune model and the treatment approach behind it.

The bottom line: - McMeen is advancing a controversial but ambitious thesis: several of medicine’s most feared degenerative diseases may share a common root, and that root may be treatable.