{"id":6934,"date":"2026-01-19T14:06:03","date_gmt":"2026-01-19T14:06:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tbdig.com\/divaxo\/?p=6934"},"modified":"2026-01-19T14:06:03","modified_gmt":"2026-01-19T14:06:03","slug":"scientists-explore-a-possible-connection-between-oral-health-and-alzheimers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tbdig.com\/divaxo\/scientists-explore-a-possible-connection-between-oral-health-and-alzheimers\/","title":{"rendered":"Scientists Explore a Possible Connection Between Oral Health and Alzheimer\u2019s"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Alzheimer\u2019s 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\u2014but recent studies suggest there might be more to the story. Emerging evidence points to Alzheimer\u2019s as not just a degenerative disease, but potentially an infection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">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\u2019s 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\u2019s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cInfectious agents have been implicated in Alzheimer\u2019s before, but proof of causation has been limited,\u201d explained Dr. Stephen Dominy, Cortexyme co-founder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Continue reading on the next page&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--nextpage-->\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Researchers focused on gingipains, the toxic enzymes produced by P. gingivalis, and discovered that high gingipain levels were linked with tau and ubiquitin\u2014two proteins already tied to Alzheimer\u2019s development. Interestingly, these toxic enzymes were also found in the brains of people who were never diagnosed with Alzheimer\u2019s. Scientists suggest this could mean the infection occurs before cognitive decline, rather than being a result of poor oral care after symptoms appear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"688\" height=\"414\" src=\"https:\/\/tbdig.com\/divaxo\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asdasd.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6936\" srcset=\"https:\/\/tbdig.com\/divaxo\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asdasd.jpg 688w, https:\/\/tbdig.com\/divaxo\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asdasd-300x181.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 688px) 100vw, 688px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-left wp-block-paragraph\"><em><sup>P. gingivalis\u2019 gingipains (red) among neurons in the brain of a patient with Alzheimer\u2019s. (Cortexyme) via sciencealert<\/sup><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In mice, a compound called COR388 was able to reduce beta-amyloid buildup and calm neuroinflammation, offering a glimpse of potential future therapies. While it\u2019s still unclear if these results will translate to humans, experts say testing new approaches is critical. \u201cWith no new dementia treatments in over 15 years, it\u2019s vital we explore all possible strategies,\u201d said David Reynolds, chief scientific officer at Alzheimer\u2019s Research.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"847\" height=\"563\" src=\"https:\/\/tbdig.com\/divaxo\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asd.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6937\" srcset=\"https:\/\/tbdig.com\/divaxo\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asd.jpg 847w, https:\/\/tbdig.com\/divaxo\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asd-300x199.jpg 300w, https:\/\/tbdig.com\/divaxo\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/asd-768x510.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 847px) 100vw, 847px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The connection between gum disease and Alzheimer\u2019s could reshape how we think about prevention and treatment\u2014but more research is needed to confirm the findings in people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Do you prioritize oral health as part of brain wellness? Share your thoughts below and join the conversation on emerging Alzheimer\u2019s research.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Alzheimer\u2019s is the leading cause of dementia in the UK, according to the NHS, but researchers are still unraveling exactly&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":6935,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6934","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-story"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tbdig.com\/divaxo\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6934","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tbdig.com\/divaxo\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tbdig.com\/divaxo\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tbdig.com\/divaxo\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tbdig.com\/divaxo\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6934"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/tbdig.com\/divaxo\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6934\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6938,"href":"https:\/\/tbdig.com\/divaxo\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6934\/revisions\/6938"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tbdig.com\/divaxo\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6935"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tbdig.com\/divaxo\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6934"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tbdig.com\/divaxo\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6934"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tbdig.com\/divaxo\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6934"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}