Alzheimer's disease, long seen as a disorder of the aging brain, may actually [View all]

begin in an unexpected place: The Mouth


The study, published in Science Advances, details how Porphyromonas gingivalis, the pathogen behind periodontitis, was detected in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients. The findings come from an international team of scientists that included Jan Potempa, a microbiologist at the University of Louisville.

Potempa said the research offers some of the strongest evidence yet linking gum infection to Alzheimer’s pathology, though he stressed more work is needed to prove causation. In animal studies, the team found that oral infection with P. gingivalis led to brain colonization. It also triggered production of amyloid beta, a sticky protein fragment that forms the plaques widely recognized as a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease.

Researchers also identified toxic enzymes produced by the bacterium, called gingipains, in neurons of Alzheimer’s patients.

The higher the gingipain levels, the greater the buildup of proteins linked to brain cell damage.

There is a remedy, which is discussed at the link.

Scroll down to the last 2 paragraphs and read the one starting with "The study also explored a potential treatment pathway."