Until recently, the brain was considered a sterile environment. But new studies suggest otherwise:
“Common human pathogens such as Staphylococcus and Streptococcus bacteria, as well as Cryptococcus and Candida fungi, are overrepresented in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients.”
(Source: #Spektrum.de, 2024)
Researchers like David C. Rubinsztein, Douglas Kell, and Jean-Christophe Lathe propose that beta-amyloid plaques may not be the cause of Alzheimer's but rather an immune response to microbial invasion.
Alpha-synuclein known from Parkinson's research also shows antimicrobial properties.
In 2023, a team led by Jean-Christophe Lathe analyzed genetic material from 79 post-mortem brain samples and detected up to 100,000 microbial species per sample, many of them known from the gut microbiome.
Another study demonstrated the presence of stable microbial communities in healthy fish brains (Vernoosfaderani & Salinas, 2024), opening entirely new biological questions.
👉 What does this mean?
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The blood-brain barrier is more permeable than previously assumed.
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Age-related immunosenescence may allow microbial infiltration.
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Antiviral treatments (e.g. for HSV-1) significantly correlate with reduced dementia risk (Taiwan study).
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The brain might host a transient but functionally relevant microbiome.
These findings could open up entirely new therapeutic pathways:
A microbiome-informed understanding of the brain could transform diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.
📚 Source: Spektrum.de (2024): Does the Microbiome Play a Role in Dementia?
https://www.spektrum.de/news/spielt-das-mikrobiom-bei-demenz-eine-rolle/2216182
#BrainMicrobiome #Neurodegeneration #AlzheimersResearch #MicrobiomeScience #BrainImmuneAxis #TrauthResearch
