Alzheimer’s is the leading cause of dementia in the UK, according to the NHS, but researchers are still unraveling exactly why it develops. Age, untreated depression, family history, and cardiovascular health all play a role—but recent studies suggest there might be more to the story. Emerging evidence points to Alzheimer’s as not just a degenerative disease, but potentially an infection.
A 2019 study led by Jan Potempa, a microbiologist at the University of Louisville, found Porphyromonas gingivalis, the bacteria behind chronic gum disease, in the brains of deceased Alzheimer’s patients. Earlier experiments in mice by Cortexyme, Inc. showed that oral infection with P. gingivalis increased production of beta-amyloid, the sticky proteins most associated with Alzheimer’s.
“Infectious agents have been implicated in Alzheimer’s before, but proof of causation has been limited,” explained Dr. Stephen Dominy, Cortexyme co-founder.
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