AI Summary
Tumors can release a virus-like protein that triggers an immune response in the brain, causing memory loss and cognitive problems.
In a rare but serious complication of cancer, the body’s own immune system can start attacking the brain, causing rapid-onset memory loss and cognitive deficits. What triggers this sudden biological civil war was largely unknown. Now, researchers have found that some tumors can release a protein that looks like a virus, kickstarting an out-of-control immune reaction that may damage brain cells.