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Griffith University scientists have shown that a bacterium can travel through the olfactory nerve in the nose and into the brain in mice, where it creates markers that are a telltale sign of Alzheimer’s disease.
According to research, bacteria can travel through the olfactory nerve in the nose and to the brain in mice and picking can damage the lining of the nose, which increases the amount of bacteria that can enter the brain.
The study, published earlier this year in the journal Scientific Reports, revealed that Chlamydia pneumoniae, a type of bacteria that can cause respiratory tract infections, such as pneumonia, exploited the nerve that runs between the nasal cavity and the brain as an invasion route to attack the central nervous system.
In response, the brain cells began to deposit amyloid beta protein, which is a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease.
Professor James St John, Director Clem Jones Center for Neurobiology and Stem Cell Research, is co-author of the world’s first investigation.
“We are the first to demonstrate that Chlamydia pneumoniae it can go straight up through the nose and into the brain, where it can trigger pathologies that resemble Alzheimer’s disease,” St John explained.
According to the professor’s statements, the evidence obtained is also potentially terrifying for humans.
The brief path from the nose to the brain
The olfactory nerve of the nose is directly exposed to the air and offers a path short to the brain, bypassing the blood-brain barrier. It is a route that bacteria and viruses have detected as an easy route to the brain.
The Center team is already planning the next phase of research and aims to demonstrate that the same pathway exists in humans.
They ensure that they need to do this study in humans and confirm if the same pathway works in the same way.
There are some simple steps to take care of the lining of the nose that Professor St John suggests people can take now if they want to reduce the risk of developing late-onset Alzheimer’s.
“ Picking your nose and pulling out your nose hairs is not a good idea,” he said. “We don’t want to damage the inside of our nose and picking and plucking can do that.”
According to the specialist, if the lining of the nose is damaged, it can increase the amount of bacteria that can enter our brain.
On the other hand , notes that Smell tests may also have potential as screeners for Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, as loss of the sense of smell is an early indicator of Alzheimer’s disease.
In fact, it suggests that smell tests from when a person meets 60 years could be beneficial as an early detector.
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