Studying the Link Between Gum Disease and Alzheimer’s Disease

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When examing gum disease, Fusobacterium nucleatum (F. nucleatum) is one common kind of bacteria that thrives in periodontal disease. It affects the gums and jawbone, and if untreated results in unstable teeth and tooth loss. In recent years, F. nucleatum has been linked to conditions ranging to everything from colorectal cancer to the premature delivery of babies.

“In this study, our lab is the first to find that Fusobacterium nucleatum can generate systemic inflammation and even infiltrate nervous system tissues and exacerbate the signs and symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease,” reveals Jake Jinkun Chen, professor of periodontology and director of the Division of Oral Biology at Tufts University School of Dental Medicine. The first author of the paper is Hongle Wu, who was a postdoctoral fellow in the Chen Lab at the time of the study.

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Studying the Link Between Gum Disease and Alzheimer’s Disease