A relatively common fungus can enter the mammalian brain and trigger the formation of toxic amyloid plaques such as those associated with Alzheimer’s disease.
An international team of researchers has shown that a common type of fungus, Candida albicans, can enter the brain of mammals and trigger the formation of toxic amyloid plaques like those associated with Alzheimer’s disease, writes Medical News Today.
New research suggests that this neurodegenerative condition may have its source outside the brain.
Working with animal models, Baylor College of Medicine researchers found that the fungus can enter the brain by generating amyloid-beta-like peptides, the toxic protein fragments from the amyloid precursor protein that are thought to be central to the development of Alzheimer’s disease, as shown in a report published by the journal Cell Reports.
In recent years, scientists have detected signs of a very common fungus known as Candida albicans in the autopsied brains of people with Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative conditions such as Parkinson’s.
This has led scientists to argue that external infections can invade the mammalian brain and trigger an innate immune response that can help destroy pathogens, but can also trigger Alzheimer’s-like symptoms, if not it works correctly.
The hypothesis was tested on mice, proving that rodents infected with this fungus showed memory impairment. These, however, disappeared when the fungus was removed.
2023-10-22 21:03:00
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