Common pneumonia bacterium may fuel Alzheimer’s disease
Cedars-Sinai researchers report that Chlamydia pneumoniae can invade the retina and brain, activating the NLRP3 inflammasome, killing neurons, and promoting amyloid-beta accumulation; the bacterium was found at higher levels in people with Alzheimer's, particularly APOE4 carriers, and correlated with greater cognitive decline, suggesting retinal detection could serve as a diagnostic biomarker and infection-modulating strategies as therapeutic avenues.
Why it mattersCedars-Sinai's retinal detection of Chlamydia pneumoniae and NLRP3 activation suggests Alzheimer's trials should screen APOE4 participants for.