amyloid antibiotic Archives

Alzheimer’s May Be a Brain Infection and Amyloid Beta an Antimicrobial

Published on December 21, 2022

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Every now and again, I have the great pleasure of stumbling upon truly groundbreaking research. That was the case here. A 2010 study found that the amyloid-beta plaques common in Alzheimer’s and thought to be merely a by-product of some defunct brain process actually may be part of the innate immune system’s response to brain bacteria. It appears that amyloid is an anti-microbial peptide and a fairly potent one at that.

Over the last decade or so, researchers have postulated that Alzheimer’s may be a bacterial, viral, fungal or even a prion infection within the central nervous system (CNS). Nevertheless, most still believe that the amyloid buildup observed in the brain tissue of Alzheimer’s patients is an incidental and pathological marker of the growing disease. This research suggests a little re-thinking of that definition might be in order.

Amyloid is not a pathogenic by-product. It is an innate antibiotic that shares all the characteristics of the other CNS antimicrobials. It has receptors, initiates signal transduction and the cascade of expected immune system reactions against pathogens. More importantly, in direct tests, amyloid acts as an antibiotic against at least eight pathogens from candida (yeast) to streptococcus to staphylococcus, even E coli.

In the case of candida, the amyloid peptide was significantly more potent than the other known, innate CNS anti-infective. Interestingly, the highest density of amyloid and candida was found in the temporal lobe of Alzheimer’s patients. The temporal lobe is the region of the brain responsible for the most troubling cognitive deficit of Alzheimer’s, the memory disturbances, and the most severely damaged region as the disease progresses.

This research opens some entirely new directions in Alzheimer’s research. Could Alzheimer’s be related to body infections that somehow cross the blood brain barrier? Are there environmental factors that make the blood brain barrier more permeable to infection or other toxins? In our efforts to block the amyloid build-up, the target of many Alzheimer’s drugs, are we blocking the immune system’s ability to fight an infection? And certainly, by the time the amyloid plaques are visible, it is safe to assume that the infection and immune response have been on-going for years, are there markers that we have missed that appear much earlier on?

As a woman, I was most intrigued by the candida connection because 75% of all women will experience at least one yeast infection across their life time and 40% will experience more frequent infections. Some researchers suggest that chronic yeast infections caused by host immune deficiency are on the rise. Moreover, there is speculation that the high-sugar western diet and the over-use of antibiotics are to blame.

Despite this increase in yeast hyper-sensitivity in the gut and elsewhere in the body, brain or neuro-candida has been considered fairly rare and often fatal, at least in its acute stage. Indeed, it is rather difficult for most toxins to cross the blood brain barrier at all. So it is all the more striking that these researchers identified temporal lobe candida in Alzheimer’s patients and that it had likely been there chronically as evidenced by time-frame of the immune response required to create the visible amyloid plaques.

Perhaps, a more chronic, lower- intensity candida infection reaches the CNS and is almost but not quite battled successfully by the body’s innate immune system – the amyloid. Over time the innate immune system mounts a stronger and stronger defense until the very defense mechanisms begin to cause the problems we see as invasive amyloid plaques of Alzheimer’s. Interesting possibilities.

The full study: The Alzheimer’s Disease-Associated Amyloid β-Protein Is an Antimicrobial Peptide

This article was published originally on April 8, 2013. Since then there have been dozens of studies pursuing this possibility. A great review: Functional Reciprocity of Amyloids and Antimicrobial Peptides: Rethinking the Role of Supramolecular Assembly in Host Defense, Immune Activation, and Inflammation.

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Decreasing the Risk of Alzheimer’s with Vitamin D

by Susan Rex Ryan

Published on July 6, 2015

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As a health writer, I must ask if adequate vitamin D can prevent and/or treat the progressive brain disease called Alzheimer’s. No one should have to endure Alzheimer’s disease (AD), a deadly cognitive disorder that the Alzheimer’s Association® claims cannot be prevented or cured.

Staggering Statistics

The number of Alzheimer’s patients is growing at an alarming rate. Nearly 44 million people worldwide have developed AD, according to Alzheimer’s Disease International. Moreover, incidences of the deadly disease are expected to increase significantly over the next decade.

About 5.3 million Americans have AD. In fact, at least three persons living in the United States will develop AD before you finish reading this brief article. Yes, every 67 seconds another American succumbs to Alzheimer’s, the most common form of dementia. (1)

The medical community’s views about why the prevalence of AD is rising at a staggering rate remain varied. Many believe genetics and environmental pollutants may serve as risk factors. Some believe the predominance of vitamin D deficiency may be linked to the mounting incidences of AD. In fact, scientific research indicates that the majority of Alzheimer patients have low levels of vitamin D.

But first, let’s understand what happens to the brain when Alzheimer’s strikes it.

The Brain on Alzheimer’s

The sheer complexity of the human brain is daunting. A healthy adult brain contains approximately 100 billion nerve cells, called neurons, which connect at more than 100 trillion points in the central nervous system.

The adverse effects of Alzheimer’s on the brain are obvious to medical personnel interpreting the images. First, the brain of an AD patient is smaller than one of a healthy adult. The decreased brain size is a result of the brain tissue containing significantly fewer neurons. Second, abnormal clusters of amyloid-beta protein fragments, called plaques, collect between nerve cells in the brain. Thirdly, dead or dying neurons, called tangles, are visibly present in the brain of an AD patient.

Signals traveling through the brain’s extensive neural network form the basis of memories, thoughts, and feelings. When plaques and tangles develop in the brain, the signaling essential to cognitive function becomes disrupted. Moreover, the brain cells are destroyed, resulting in progressive cognitive issues including memory loss, poor decision-making and behavioral problems.

Vitamin D’s Beneficial Effects on the Brain

Vitamin D crosses the blood-brain barrier. And every one of the 100 billion or so neurons in the brain includes a vitamin D receptor (VDR) that influences cognitive health.

In order to regulate specific brain functions, the VDR in these cells must be turned on by receiving activated vitamin D. Without sufficient vitamin D to activate its receptors, the neurons cannot work properly.

Activated vitamin D affects the development of neurons as well as their maintenance and survival, by regulating the synthesis of nerve growth factor.

Remember those plaques and tangles that disrupt the brain’s intricate signaling system? The neuro-protective effects of this vitamin also include the modulation of signal stability within the brain’s complex neural network.

Recent Research Links Vitamin D Deficiency and Alzheimer’s

An abundance of research connects vitamin D deficiency, a condition that is highly prevalent in adults aged 65 years and above, to cognitive decline. So I explored recent research to learn more about the association.

International experts gathered at an invitational summit on “Vitamin D and Cognition in Older Adults” to provide “clear” guidance to researchers and clinicians about the role of vitamin D in Alzheimer’s. They agreed that vitamin D deficiency (a blood serum level < 30ng/mL or 75 nmol/L) increases the risk of cognitive decline and dementia in adults aged 65 and older. Their report was published in the January 2015 edition of the prestigious Journal of Internal Medicine.

Dutch researchers reviewed medical literature about vitamin D’s association with cognition in older adults. They found “emerging evidence that suggests a beneficial role for vitamin D in brain physiology.” The researchers noted associations between higher blood serum vitamin D levels and better cognitive performance. The reviewers’ findings were presented in the January 2015 issue of the journal Current Opinion of Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care.

Sir Michael J. Berridge, an eminent physiologist and biochemist, conducted a study at The Babraham Institute in the United Kingdom that was published in the June 1, 2015 edition of the journal Biochemical Society Transactions. His research suggests that vitamin D is the “guardian” of signaling stability. By examining vitamin D’s role in the constancy of the Ca2+ (calcium) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) signaling pathways, Berridge postulated the necessity of activated vitamin D to maintain the normal function of these critical, intracellular “cross-talk” molecules. He concluded that “a decline in vitamin D levels will lead to erosion of this signaling stability,” suggesting that a plethora of diseases linked to vitamin D deficiency are also associated with a dysregulation in both Ca2+ and ROS signaling.

Bolster Your Brain with Vitamin D

The statistics of escalating rates of Alzheimer’s suggest that your life—in some way—will most likely be impacted this deadly disease.

A breakthrough study, published June 24, 2015 in the online version of the journal Neurology, revealed that Alzheimer’s may develop 20 years before any symptoms appear. These findings suggest that we may be able to prevent this deadly disease. They also indirectly hint at the need for humans to be vitamin D-rich throughout life.

Considering the association between vitamin D deficiency and Alzheimer’s, I encourage readers to consider seriously daily supplementation with vitamin D3 and its partners, magnesium and vitamin K2.

Perhaps Michael F. Holick, MD, PhD, one of the world’s leading experts, said it best: He concluded in an article on brain health, published in a 2015 issue of the Journal of Internal Medicine by stating, “There is no downside to increasing vitamin D status for all by encouraging vitamin D supplementation and sensible sun exposure.”

Footnote 1: “Dementia” encompasses a spectrum of brain-related diseases including Alzheimer’s.

About the Author: Susan Rex Ryan, author of the award-winning vitamin D book Defend Your Life, is dedicated to vitamin D awareness. Her extensive collection of health articles can be found on Hormone Matters as well as her blog at smilinsuepubs.com. Join Sue in her “Vitamin D Wellness” FB Group to learn more about vitamin D3, magnesium, and vitamin K2 supplementation. Follow her on Twitter @vitD3sue.

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