This common bacteria could be linked to Alzheimer's
A new Cedars-Sinai study found that people with Alzheimer's had much higher levels of the bacteria Chlamydia pneumoniae in their retinas and brains compared to those without the disease.
The bacteria was also tied to certain risky genes
Researchers saw that more C. pneumoniae was linked to worse memory loss, certain risky genes (like APOE4), and higher levels of proteins tied to Alzheimer's.
People with Alzheimer's also had fewer immune cells in their retinas clearing out this bacteria.
Eye scans might 1 day help spot Alzheimer's risk early
Lab experiments showed that infecting nerve cells and mice with this bacteria led to more brain inflammation, toxic protein buildup, and memory problems.
Interestingly, machine learning could use these retinal changes to predict who might have Alzheimer's.
As lead author Maya Koronyo-Hamaoui put it, using simple eye scans could someday help spot Alzheimer's risk early—no needles needed.