Brain fungus could cause the onset of Alzheimer’s: new study

health

by Mark Lalanilla

There are probably germs living in your brain right now.

And new medical research suggests it may contribute to the development of Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia.

This fungus is Candida albicans, a common yeast that lives in all human bodies, especially on the skin, mouth, and intestines.

Only when C. albicans grows out of balance with the body’s healthy bacteria can it cause an infection called candidiasis. Common infections include vaginal yeast infections, diaper rash, and yeast infections. According to the Cleveland Clinic.

Now, researchers at Baylor University in Waco, Texas, have discovered that Candida albicans not only invades the brain, but also produces toxic compounds called peptides, which are often associated with Alzheimer’s disease.

“Our lab has many years of experience in studying fungi, so we set out to study the link between Candida albicans and Alzheimer’s disease.” Dr. David B. ColleyProfessor of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine; stated in a news release.

“Our first question was: How does Candida albicans invade the brain?” Wu Yifana postdoctoral fellow at Baylor University and lead author of the study. Published in Cell Reports magazine.

“We discovered that Candida albicans produces an enzyme called secreted aspartate protease, which disrupts the blood-brain barrier and allows the fungus to gain access to the brain and cause damage,” Professor Wu added.

It is now believed that Alzheimer’s disease is caused by the accumulation of toxic peptides in the brain, leading to neurodegeneration. The prevailing belief is that these peptides are naturally produced by the brain.

These peptides also activate brain cells that keep the amount of fungi in the brain at low levels, but they do not completely eliminate fungal infections.

But this new study shows that Candida albicans, which was previously detected in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease and other neurodegenerative diseases, may produce the same harmful peptides that the brain produces. One thing became clear.

“This study may contribute an important new piece of the puzzle regarding the development of Alzheimer’s disease,” said Colley.

“These findings…support the conduct of further studies to assess the role of Candida albicans in the development of Alzheimer’s disease in people, and may lead to innovative treatment strategies,” Colley added.