Abstract
Epidemiological studies have identified an association between periodontitis and Alzheimer's disease; however, the nature of this association has been unclear. Recent work suggests that brain colonization by the periodontal pathogen Porphyromonas gingivalis may link these two inflammatory and degenerative conditions. Evidence of P. gingivalis infiltration has been detected in autopsy specimens from the brains of people with Alzheimer's disease and in cerebrospinal fluid of individuals diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. Gingipains, a class of P. gingivalis proteases, are found in association with neurons, tau tangles, and beta‐amyloid in specimens from the brains of individuals with Alzheimer's disease. The brains of mice orally infected with P. gingivalis show evidence of P. gingivalis infiltration, along with various neuropathological hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease. Oral administration of gingipain inhibitors to mice with established brain infections decreases the abundance of P. gingivalis DNA in brain and mitigates the neurotoxic effects of P. gingivalis infection. Thus, gingipain inhibition could provide a potential approach to the treatment of both periodontitis and Alzheimer's disease.
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https://aap.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/JPER.20-0104?af=R
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