‘Gum disease can lead to changes in brain cells called microglial cells, responsible for defending the brain from amyloid plaque, a type of protein that is associated with cell death’
Scientists have found a link between periodontal (gum) disease and the formation of amyloid plaque, a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease.
The study, published in the Journal of Neuroinflammation, found that gum disease can lead to changes in brain cells called microglial cells, responsible for defending the brain from amyloid plaque, a type of protein that is associated with cell death.
The research provides important insight into how oral bacteria makes its way to the brain, and the role of neuroinflammation in Alzheimer’s disease, a brain disorder that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills.
“We knew from one of our previous studies that inflammation associated with gum disease activates an inflammatory response in the brain,” said senior study author, Alpdogan Kantarci, from the Forsyth Institute in the US.
“In this study, we were asking the question, can oral bacteria cause a change in the brain cells?” Kantarci said in a statement.
The microglial cells the researchers studied are a type of white blood cell responsible for digesting amyloid plaque. They found that when exposed to oral bacteria, the microglial cells became overstimulated and ate too much.
“They basically became obese. They no longer could digest plaque formations,” Kantarci said.
https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/health/new-study-links-gum-disorder-to-alzheimers-disease-524805
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