Noting that a study published earlier in the year in Science Advances found Porphyromonas gingivalis (Pg) may play a role in the development of Alzheimer’s, New Atlas reports researchers have “followed this line of investigation further,” exploring “the relationship between Pg and Alzheimer’s by examining brain samples of deceased subjects, both with and without the disease.” The researchers found “Pg to be much more common in the samples taken from those with Alzheimer’s, with its DNA fingerprint and key toxins called gingipains revealing its presence.”
HealthDay reports that Pg could enter the brain by being carried through the bloodstream or nervous system, according to lead researcher Dr. Jan Potempa, a professor at the University of Louisville School of Dentistry in Kentucky. Dr. Potempa presented his research on Sunday, April 7, at the 2019 annual meeting of the American Association of Anatomists.