Researchers from the American Baylor College published in Cell Reports talked about the ability of a common type of fungal infection to penetrate the brain of mammals, provoking the formation of toxic amyloid plaques, similar to those associated with Alzheimer’s disease.
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It is noted that the corresponding discovery was made by scientists in mice, but their work suggests that a key criterion for a number of neurodegenerative conditions may originate from extracerebral sources. Amyloid protein plaques that form between neurons have a strong association with Alzheimer’s disease and are generally thought to result from internal stress or inflammation in the brain.
Over the past years, experts have noted the presence of fungus Candida albicans after autopsying the brains of people suffering from various neurodegenerative diseases. In this regard, researchers have suggested that external infections that affect the mammalian brain trigger an immune response that not only may help eliminate the pathogen, but may also trigger the development of symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease if it develops unfavorably.
The researchers tested these theories in vitro on mice and identified two neuroimmune mechanisms caused by C. albicansincluding a fungal enzyme SAPS. One of its effects was the breakdown of amyloid proteins, similar to those that form plaques in the brain affected by Alzheimer’s disease, which in turn activates cleansing microglial cells.
2023-10-20 14:49:00
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