GUM disease bacteria may play a role in Alzheimer’s disease, according to researchers.
They studied dead and living patients with diagnosed and suspected Alzheimer’s and found bacteria associated with chronic gum disease in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s, BBC News reported.
Tests on mice confirmed the bacteria, Porphyromonas gingivalis could migrate from the mouth to the brain and that a toxic protein they secrete (gingipain) destroyed brain neurons.
The bacteria also boosted production of amyloid beta, a component of brain plaques associated with Alzheimer’s.
Further tests on mice showed that drugs that block the toxic proteins produced by the bacteria stopped brain degeneration.
The study was published in the journal of Science Advances. The researchers said their findings could point to new ways to help people with Alzheimer’s. Currently, there is no cure or effective treatment.
The team developed a new drug and plan to test it later this year in a clinical trial with patients who have mild to moderate Alzheimer’s.
The study adds to evidence of a link between gum disease and dementia, but it’s still not clear if gum disease bacteria actually trigger Alzheimer’s, said scientists not involved in the study.
Previous studies linking gum disease with dementia include one published last year that found that people with chronic gum disease for 10 years or more had a 70 per cent higher risk of Alzheimer’s than those without gum disease.
So, the mouth is the gate to the body. If you keep the gate clean, you may prevent disease from entering and spread to your body. Regular dental check ups are a crucial part of preventing disease.
