Alzheimer’s disease is the leading cause of dementia. It progressively worsens multiple aspects of health over time, from short-term memory loss to behavioral changes to loss of bodily functions. The actual cause of Alzheimer’s is currently unknown. One widely-accepted hypothesis proposes that Alzheimer’s is caused by the accumulation of misfolded proteins in the brain. Unfortunately, many drugs targeting misfolded proteins perform poorly in clinical trials, hinting that this hypothesis might be wrong. Misfolded proteins might be another side effect, not the cause.
Researchers recently published a new line of evidence supporting a hypothesis that Alzheimer’s might be a result of an infection by oral bacteria P. gingivalis. The bacteria produces toxins called gingipains that are found to accumulate in the brain of Alzheimer’s patients. The gingipains degrade human proteins, giving rise to the infamous misfolded proteins. The researchers also developed chemical compounds that could neutralize gingipains. Mice injected with gingipains developed degenerate brain cells, while mice that were pretreated with neutralizing compounds beforehand maintained healthy brain cells.
Although this new work might be the much-needed breakthrough in curing Alzheimer’s disease, the hypothesis is not conclusively proven and many questions still remain. Is P. gingivalis actually the cause of Alzheimer’s? Some experts still believe the disease could be caused by a fungal or viral infection. How does the bacteria get from the gum to the brain? What else does the gingipain toxin interact with in the brain? Are the neutralizing compounds safe or even effective in humans?
Managing Correspondent: Veerasak (Jeep) Srisuknimit
Original Paper: Science Advance
Press article: Science, ScienceNews
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Image Credit: Modified from Pixabay
I think this is probably the best game. It was the best of life, even if it was just a shaky time. starvegas
Interestingly, I did not think there was such a connection. They really need to think about Alzheimer’s
Alzheimer’s is a major problem that the global medical community needs to find a way to treat
An alzhemeir patient needs a care from a person. And also gives up his oral care. The person who takes care of him usually gets tire and can ignore the cleaning of teeth, so mouth. So giving up dental care results with an increasing amount of bacteria…
True statement. Lots of patients who don’t use the arms have bad oral health due to people ignoring the oral care. Lots of patients who have dementia will not let you brush their teeth.
I am very interested to see what comes of this study. I am a dental hygienist and have been wondering if there is a link for the past few years. I have had a few patients over the years diagnosed with Alzheimer’s/Dementia and I started to notice some of them with uncontrolled periodontal disease or what seemed to be more aggressive bacteria present. It’s hard to say if this was always present or lack of homecare due to the disease. It makes me want to keep closer watch on my patients and their health histories. I’m hopeful this is getting closer to a cure.
Veerasak, I’ve been doing some research in herbs, and I might have found something promising. Any chance I could get your thoughts on the subject via email? Thank you for your time!
I have used many things for my mother and still using coconut oil , black seeds ,pumpkin seeds and coriander seeds and I think of using mastic raisin…what do you think of that . I hope to get some answer
alzheimers is so terrible..
I hope we will never attacked by that disease..
Being so certain n relaxed that Alzheimer will never attack us is not fair,for that matter it can affect any one with aging,may be that in some people it comes as early as at 50 age n in some
as late as 90 which is taken as normal regressive phenomena. The exact etiology n pathophysiology is not verified as till date but with due time it may be established with causes.
Are there any positive benefits from using drugs such as inbexa , donecept. And resperidone in the treatment of alzheimers
Hi Mary, this is the clinical trial for the chemical that may neutralize the bacterial toxin mentioned in the article. https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03331900 I don’t think we know enough about this bacteria and Alzheimer’s to answer your question unfortunately.
Why don’t people study beneficial microbes more? I make a cheese from cultures containing rhamanosus , the dental health microbe, along with other cultures, including buttermilk. Make microbial tea, look up BioAg microbial formulas.,eat more sauerkraut, fresh butter, raw goat milk. Gut health is the answer, and the gut begins in the mouth.
My husband who has Alzheimers for the past 2 years was treated for gum disease 20 years ago. Do they think its a previous infection or a current infection. Are there any clinical trials expected?
Thank you
Hi Mary,
My mother had Alzheimer’s disease. The nursing home where she was supposed to be looked after more than often didn’t feed her decent food and her weight went down so much that she was only skin and bone and she wouldn’t talk except to “the pain”.
I asked the manager of the nursing home how long she had to live and they told me about a week.
When I arrived home, I pleaded with all my heart and soul to God for an answer. IO loved my mother and I didn’t want her to die.
God gave me an answer, and I heard it clearly from Him in just one word, “Nourishment”.
MY sister had given me the book “Raw Energy by Leslie Kenton” and I had been on it quite some time ago and knew how great it makes you feel, so I decided to feed my mother with all raw foods apart from fish which had to be cooked.
Because the nursing home had lost my mother’s false teeth, I had to blend everything in a drink, or cut it up so small that she didn’t need to chew it.
I noticed that within a week she had improved quite a lot, and after a month, she was chatting and happy, but still very weak in strength.
Continuing on with the diet and making sure that she had all the necessary nutrients, my mother seemed to be back to her old self, laughing and joking and talking about all sorts of things.
I had my mother for another three years and three months, but the nursing staff let her fall out of bed onto the ceramic floor when they came to wash her and the fall broke her ankle and wrist. The nursing home manager said that they had a doctor examine her and that the swelling was lasix in the blood.
This is when the nursing home gave her Panadol for pain relief. My mother was put on a morphine drip and she died
a few days later when I saw the give her five pumps of morphine.
My sister came down from Queensland and because the plane was late she didn’t get to see my mother while she was still alive, but examined my mother a few moments after she died and said that our mother’s wrist and ankle were broken. ( something we weren’t told about).
Don’t leave anyone in the care of a nursing home without watching carefully that they are fed and cared for properly.
God bless you.
Valerie.
Looks like this nursing homeshould be investigated. First they were under nourishing her then they dropped her and she broke broke her wrist and angle. This is all negligence and therefore accountable.
My Mom is 94 and was in nursing home because an OD on Xanax her dr gave her for “Anxiety” and Ativan which made her completely crazy and was calling the cops a dozen times a day to “talk” then answered the door to them holding a knife. They basically wanted to commit her. I took her to a gereatric mental hosp in Newport Beach. They helped her then transitioned her to a nursing home because that was the best and safest place for her. . Her DR. got her addicted to pills. I was going twice weekly to nursing home and bringing her food and changing her bed and cleaning her table. Nursing Homes ARE FOR PROFIT..they really don’t give a shit. They said all they get is five bucks a day per person to feed them FIVE BUCKS?!! We are talking hot dogs, cheese sandwiches . The chef told me they have to load everything up with Fat to put weight on the “customers” nothing to do with health. They called me last year telling me because of Co-Vid I cant visit my mom and she hadn’t eaten in 3 days. As difficult and life changing for me, I just went and got her, they sent me hospice saying she wasnt going to make it another month. Its now been over a year 24/7 and she went from 60 pounds to 80 pounds here 🙂 But now I have to take time off for other things and I have noone to care for her so I have to put her back in a nursing home. Its hard and I feel so bad. I agree if you have a loved one in a nursing home. WATCH, RECORD, VIDEO TAPE and REPORT any concerns you have to the STATE. LOUDLY thats the only way our elderly will get any attention, when the Government makes a visit because of Elder abuse complaints. Love to all. I wish you good health and happiness
Why ypu put her nursing home..