There are several drawbacks to this study, not the least of which is the fact that the supporting research has so far been conducted on mice rather than people. Nevertheless, the results are undoubtedly worth further examination and may further our knowledge of how Alzheimer’s disease develops, a process that is still rather mysterious.
Researchers from Griffith University in Australia conducted experiments with the Chlamydia pneumoniae bacterium, which may infect people and result in pneumonia. Additionally, the bacteria have been found in the majority of human brains with late-onset dementia.
It has been shown that germs may go up the olfactory nerve in mice, connecting the nasal cavity and the brain. Additionally, nerve infections were worse when the nasal epithelium, the thin tissue that lines the roof of the nasal canal, was damaged.
As a result, the amyloid-beta protein, which is secreted in response to infections, was deposited in the mouse brains in greater amounts. People with Alzheimer’s disease have substantial amounts of plaques (or clumps) of this protein as well.
In a 2022 statement, researcher James St. John of Griffith University in Australia stated, “We’re the first to establish that Chlamydia pneumoniae can move right up the nose and into the brain where it may trigger off diseases that look like Alzheimer’s disease.
We saw this in a mouse model, and the findings may also be alarming for people.
The rapidity with which C. pneumoniae infected the central nervous systems of the mice—infection occurring within 24 to 72 hours—surprised the investigators. Bacteria and viruses may see the nose as a direct path to the brain, according to certain theories.
Even if it is uncertain whether amyloid-beta plaques are the origin of Alzheimer’s disease or even whether the consequences would be the same in people, it is crucial to pursue potential leads in the effort to comprehend this frequent neurodegenerative disorder.
According to St John, “We need to conduct this study in humans to confirm whether the same pathway functions in the same way.” “This is unfinished research that has been offered by several individuals. Though we don’t yet understand how they got there, we do know that the same germs are present in people.
Nose-picking isn’t very uncommon. In fact, it’s conceivable that up to 90% of individuals engage in it. not to mention several additional kinds, some of which are somewhat more skilled than others. Although the advantages are unclear, research like this one should make us think again before choosing.
In the meantime, St John and his colleagues advise against picking your nose or removing your nose hair since it might harm the protecting tissue within your nose. Future research into similar mechanisms in people is planned.
If the increased amyloid-beta protein deposits are a normal, healthy immune response that can be reversed when the infection is fought off, that is one remaining issue the team will be trying to address.
Alzheimer’s is a very complex illness, as is evident from the sheer volume of study into it and the variety of approaches scientists are using to attempt to understand it; nonetheless, each new piece of research moves us a little closer to discovering a means to stop it.
Your risk factor increases after you reach the age of 65, but we’re also investigating other factors since environmental exposure is also a concern, according to St John. “And we believe that viruses and bacteria are important.”
Scientific Reports has published the study’s findings.