Fungal Infection and Alzheimer’s Disease
Despite being the most common neurodegenerative disease in America scientists still don’t know exactly what causes Alzheimer’s Disease. Over the years, accumulating evidence suggests that Alzheimer's Disease be caused by infection (e.g. bacteria, virus, fungi).
Associations between infectious agents causing disease such as cancer, autoimmune and neurodegenerative diseases is not new. For example it is well established that H. pylori bacteria causes peptic ulcers, hepatitis c virus can cause liver cancer, and epstein barr virus (EBV) is strongly linked with autoimmune diseases including multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and lupus. EBV along with many other viruses have also been implicated with increased risk of neurodegenerative diseases. In some cases up to 15 years after initial infection.
Now, research investigating brain tissue samples suggest that fungal infection may be associated with Alzheimer’s Disease.
In a 2015 postmortem study, researchers found evidence of fungal infection in 100% of the brain tissue they assessed from Alzheimer patients. Fungal proteins and cells were discovered in different regions of the brain as well as inside neurons and inside blood vessels. No fungal material was observed in brain tissue from non-Alzheimer brain samples.
The authors of the study conclude that in addition to numerous other reports “these reports together with our present findings support the notion that fungal infection may exist in AD”.
Other studies have also suggested that mold toxins could also play a role in Alzheimer’s Disease. A 2021 study comparing levels of mycotoxins of patients with Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease and their healthy companions found statistically significant differences in Ochratoxin A.