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

Neurodegenerative dementias are debilitating diseases that include Alzheimer's disease (AD) and AD-related dementias (ADRDs). Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) is a rapidly progressive dementia caused by the accumulation of prions in the brain. Despite the many similarities between CJD and the ADRDs, CJD is currently not included in the ADRD group. In this opinion article, we discuss the significant impact of prion research on our understanding of the molecular pathogenesis of ADRDs as well as on the development of diagnostic tests and therapeutic strategies. We argue that CJD should be included in the group of ADRDs to enhance research cooperation and accelerate understanding of underlying disease mechanisms toward the goal of developing effective therapies to slow neurodegeneration.