Alzheimer’s linked to a fungus in the brain

New study fuels fears that you can catch the disease

ALZHEIMER’S di s e ase could be caused by a fungus growing in the brain, researchers have claimed.

Yeasts and moulds were found in grey matter and blood vessels of all dementia patients studied. By contrast, the brains of healthy people were free of fungi.

The Spanish researchers said fungal infection can ‘readily explain’ all the symptoms of Alzheimer’s – and could be the cause of the neurodegenerative disease.

The study is the second in a matter of weeks to question if it is possible to catch the devastating condition, after UK research suggested it could be spread through blood transfusions, operations and even dental work.

It was previously thought that Alzheimer’s was either caused by faulty genes or a combination of bad luck and ageing. The latest study will further fuel fears that Alzheimer’s is a disease you can catch, possibly even from breathing in spores. Much more work is needed to confirm the link but the discovery could lead to muchneeded new treatments for a disease that affects at least 500,000 Britons and robs people of their speech, memory and dignity.

Researchers from the Autonomous University of Madrid found traces of several types of fungus in the brains of 11 people who had died with Alzheimer’s disease.

They said the range of fungi might explain why the disease can vary so much from patient to patient. Writing in the journal Scientific Reports, they pointed out that if the condition is caused by a fungus, this could help explain why drug trials have had disappointing results.

It also means existing antifungal drugs could be powerful weapons in the fight against Alzheimer’s. Lead researcher Luis Carrasco said: ‘Clinical trials will be necessary to establish a causal effect.

‘A combined effort f rom the pharmaceutical i ndustry and clinicians i s needed to design clinical trials to test the possibility that Alzheimer’s disease is caused by fungal infection.’

However he cautioned that his study does not prove Alzheimer’s is triggered by a fungus. It is possible that fungal infections affect patients who already have Alzheimer’s, with yeasts and moulds finding it easier to take hold in brains weakened by dementia.

French neurodegenerative disease expert Sylvain Lehmann described the results as ‘speculative’, and British experts were also cautious.

Dr Laura Phipps, of Alzheimer’s Research UK, said: ‘While this suggests fungal cells may be present in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s, we cannot conclude that such infections cause the disease.

‘We do not know if the fungal infection occurred before or after the onset of Alzheimer’s.’

Meanwhile, record numbers of Scots below retirement age are suffering dementia.

Last year, 777 people under the age of 65 received treatment for the disease, more usually associated with old age. Four people taking medication for dementia were aged between 15 and 29 years, Scottish Government figures show.

Fronto-temporal dementia, which causes personality changes and can leave victims struggling for words, tends to strike when people are in their forties and fifties. Drinking too much over a long period can also cause alcohol-related dementia, which affects one in ten younger people who have the condition.

Jim Pearson, of charity Alzheimer Scotland, said: ‘There remains a lot to be done for younger people with dementia.’

‘Clinical trials will be necessary’