The cause of Alzheimer’s disease has been discovered? Main suspect bacteria causing gum disease

A growing body of research indicates that the cause of Alzheimer’s disease is the bacterium that causes gum disease. Scientists say they have strong evidence that it is these microorganisms that cause m.in. Periodontitis produce an enzyme that destroys neurons and leads to Alzheimer’s disease.

Gum disease may play a key role in the development of Alzheimer’s disease – results from a new study. Researchers say they have found the cause of the condition, which has been sought for years, and it is a bacterial Porphyromonas gingivalis. It is one of the mainoThe underlying causes of diseaseob gums and tooth lossow. These bacteria may roalso promote the development of rheumatoid arthritisow and atherosclerosis. They have also previously been linked to heart problems.

Gum disease affects about one-third of the global population. The good news is that a drug that blocks the head of theowne toxins Porphyromonas gingivalis is now entering the clinical trial phase, and published research shows that it can stop and even reverse theocure Alzheimer’s disease. Based on it may even form a vaccine.

Alzheimer’s disease

Alzheimer’s disease is one of the biggest mysteries in medicine. It affects older peopleob, usually after 65. years of age, but it starts much earlier. More and more wasps are contracting itob, and this is related to increasing life expectancy. Unfortunately, it has now become the fifth most common cause of death worldwide.

The disease is associated with accumulation in mozgu beta-amyloid and another protein called tau. The leading hypothesis is that the disease is due to faulty body control of these dwoch proteins. However, studies in recent years have shown that people can have amyloid plaques in the mozgu, but not to have Alzheimer’s. So much research on beta-amyloid plaques has failed that the hypothesis has been seriously weakened.

At the same time, the number of evidence ofow on the fact that the function of amyloid proteins can provide a defense against bacteria, particularolnie those whoore cause gum disease. The bacteria was found in mogach of waspsob suffering from Alzheimer’s disease in studies conducted after the patient has already diedow. However, until now it has not been clear whether these bacteria caused the disease or simply entered through damage to the mozgu caused by this condition.

Many scientistsow studied Porphyromonas gingivalis and has so far been found to attack the same regions of the mozgu, whichore affected by Alzheimer’s disease and that gum infections can worsen these symptoms. Such a study was conducted by m.In. researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago. They found that long-term exposure to bacteria Porphyromonas gingivalis causes inflammation and neuronal degenerationow in mice. These effects are similar to Alzheimer’s disease in humans. Read more about this research in the text: periodontal disease-causing bacteria can cause Alzheimer’s.

"We have solid evidence"

– When the results of studies in multiple independent laboratories are similar, as is the case here, there is probably something at play – said Casey Lynch of Cortexyme, a pharmaceutical company in San Francisco, California, ktora conducts research on Alzheimer’s disease and cooIt is working with a number of universities in this field. One of the cool of the company’s founders – Stephen Dominy, there is a majorownym author of the publication.

– Infectious agents have previously been thought to cause the development and progression of Alzheimer’s disease, but the evidence was not convincing, Dominy said. – Now, for the first time, we have solid evidence linking the Porphyromonas gingivalis and Alzheimer’s pathogenesis – added.

In the new study, researchers identified toxic enzymes secreted by the bacteria Porphyromonas gingivalis in mozgs of waspsob with Alzheimer’s disease, whichore correlated with two separate disease markers: tau protein and a protein marker called ubiquitin. Toxic enzymes were found in 96 percent of. studied probek.

Higher concentrations of the bacteria and their toxic enzymeow were found in osob, ktore have experienced significant cognitive decline. The individuals also had higher amounts of amyloid proteins and tau proteins. Syndromeoł has also discovered the bacteria in the spinal cords of people with Alzheimer’s disease, suggesting that the technique could provide a long sought-after method for diagnosing the disease.

Studies on mice

In separate experiments conducted on mice, the combinedoł scientistow administered the pathogen to rodents, which led to colonization of mozg by bacteria Porphyromonas gingivalis, along with increased production of amyloid proteins, tau proteins and nerve damageoin the regions of mozgu corresponding to regions attacked during Alzheimer’s disease.

Researchers had previously developed molecules that block the action of the bacteria. Giving them someorych mice reduced infection, inhibited the production of amyloid proteins, reduced inflammation mozgu, and even rescued damaged neurons.

Someore probki mozgu obtained from deceased individualsob, whichore showed no signs of Alzheimer’s disease roalso had Porphyromonas gingivalis and the accumulation of the aforementioned twooch proteins, but at lower levels. These proteins can accumulate in the mozgu for 10 to 20 years before the first symptoms of the disease appear. This, Lynch said, seems to indicate that the bacteria responsible for gum disease are a cause of Alzheimer’s disease, not a result of it.

– Gum disease is much more common than Alzheimer’s disease. But Alzheimer’s attacks people whoorych toxic enzymes accumulate and damage mozg fast enough to cause symptoms during their lifetime. We believe that this is a universal hypothesis of pathogenesis – highlighted Lynch.

Cortexyme reported that the best of the blockersow bacteria have passed preliminary safety tests in humans. Later this year, the company intends to begin larger trials of the drug. They plan to row also tested it against gum disease itself.