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Review
. 2020 Jul 24;15(1):42.
doi: 10.1186/s13024-020-00378-4.

Microbial involvement in Alzheimer disease development and progression

Hannah R Bulgart  1 , Evan W Neczypor  2   3 , Loren E Wold  2   3   4 , Amy R Mackos  5
Affiliations
Review

Microbial involvement in Alzheimer disease development and progression

Hannah R Bulgart et al. Mol Neurodegener. .

Abstract

Alzheimer disease (AD) is the most prominent form of dementia and the 5th leading cause of death in individuals over 65. AD is a complex disease stemming from genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors. It is known that AD patients have increased levels of senile plaques, neurofibrillary tangles, and neuroinflammation; however, the mechanism(s) by which the plaques, tangles, and neuroinflammation manifest remain elusive. A recent hypothesis has emerged that resident bacterial populations contribute to the development and progression of AD by contributing to neuroinflammation, senile plaque formation, and potentially neurofibrillary tangle accumulation (Fig. 1). This review will highlight recent studies involved in elucidating microbial involvement in AD development and progression.

Keywords: Alzheimer disease; Gut microbiota; Oral microbiota.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare they have no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Potential mechanism by which distant microbial dysbiosis can affect AD development and progression
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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