Researchers discover fungus in Alzheimer’s sufferers
Print Edition
Traces of fungus have been discovered in the brains of Alzheimer’s sufferers, relaunching the question: might the disease be caused by an infectious microbe?
There is no conclusive evidence, but if the answer turns out to be “yes,” it means Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) may be targeted with antifungal treatment, a Spanish team reported in the journal Scientific Reports.
“The possibility that AD is a fungal disease, or that fungal infection is a risk factor for the disease, opens new perspectives for effective therapy for these patients,” they wrote.
The five-member team had found cells and other material from “several fungal species” in the brain tissue and blood vessels of all 11 deceased Alzheimer’s patients analyzed, but not in 10 Alzheimer’s-free controls. The findings are published just a month after scientists warned in the sister journal Nature of a risk of accidental surgical transmission of Alzheimer’s “seeds” from one person to another.
Alzheimer’s Disease is the most common form of dementia, which the World Health Organization says affects nearly 50 million people worldwide.
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