Medical Discovery News
Science permeates everyday life. Yet the understanding of advances in biomedical science is limited at best. Few people make the connection that biomedical science is medicine and that biomedical scientists are working today for the medicine of tomorrow. Our weekly five-hundred-word newspaper column (http://www.illuminascicom.com/) and two-minute radio show provide insights into a broad range of biomedical science topics. Medical Discovery News is dedicated to explaining discoveries in biomedical research and their promise for the future of medicine. Each release is designed to stimulate listeners to think, question and appreciate how science affects their health as well as that of the rest of the world. We also delve into significant biomedical discoveries and portray how science (or the lack of it) has impacted health throughout history.
Medical Discovery News
The Microbiome of the Brain
958 The Microbes of the Brain
Welcome to Medical Discovery News. I’m Dr Norbert Herzog.
And I'm Dr. David Niesel
If you’ve been listening to our show which has been around for nearly two decades, you’ve heard us discuss the importance of the microbiome.
This is the collection of bacteria, fungi, and other microbes that live on and in our bodies. And they outnumber our cells.
Now we know they’re also inside our brains. For years scientists held that the brain was sterile and devoid of microbes. We have the blood-brain barrier as an effective “wall” against microbes.
However, researchers report finding bacteria and fungi in people’s brains. And there’s evidence that microbial brain infections may lead to dementia and Alzheimer’s.
For example, oral bacteria have been found in the spinal fluid and brains of Alzheimer’s patients. One theory is the disruption of the oral microbiome leads to inflammation that could play a part in how oral bacteria travel to the brain.
In another case, a patient diagnosed with Alzheimer’s also had a fungal infection. After he was treated with an antimicrobial, his dementia symptoms went away.
Scientists have found the genetic material of nearly two hundred different bacteria and viruses in the brains of people with neurological diseases. These people also had greater numbers of microbes in their brains.
It’s important to note that there are people with neurologic diseases where no microbes were found. But if the link is credible, could treating dementia be as easy as taking antimicrobials?
We are Drs. David Niesel and Norbert Herzog, at UTMB and Quinnipiac University, where biomedical discoveries shape the future of medicine. For much more and our disclaimer go to medicaldiscoverynews.comor subscribe to our podcast. Sign up for expanded print episodes at www.illuminascicom.com
