When cells become infected with the bacterium, they make chemicals to fend off the infection. Those inflammatory chemicals, called cytokines, can damage surrounding nerve cells. Khachaturian said the critical question is to identify the trigger, which he suggested might be some sort of trauma or other incident that creates damage to the blood-brain barrier and lets the bacteria in. I think this is a likely scenario. Khachaturian said it's also important to find out whether the bacteria has set the stage for Alzheimer's in the patients who died, or whether the Alzheimer's damaged the brain, letting in the bacteria.
Cells infected by the bacterium make chemicals to fend off the infection.
Those inflammatory chemicals, called cytokines, can in turn damage surrounding nerve cells. The same bacterium has been detected in the fatty plaques that clog heart arteries, though researchers do not yet know if it is responsible for the clogging. Researchers have also found a correlation between late-onset Alzheimer's and infection with herpes simplex virus type 1.