Bacteria can enter the human brain through nose-picking, and a recent study investigates whether this can lead to dementia. The Griffith University study in Queensland, Australia, has shown that the bacterium Chlamydia pneumoniae can enter the brains of mice through the nose and attack the central nervous system. The mice responded by producing the Amyloid-Beta protein, which is also a characteristic of dementia in humans. The researchers suggest that this could be a clear indication that the bacterium could trigger diseases such as Alzheimer’s. The study, published in Scientific Reports, explains that there are certain parallels between humans and mice, making it possible that the bacterium could also cause dementia in humans if it enters the brain.
Previous studies have shown that Chlamydia pneumoniae also occurs in humans, but medicine has not yet been able to answer how the bacterium enters the body. In a further research phase, the scientists led by James St John will investigate how the pathogen affects the human brain and whether Amyloid-Beta proteins are also formed there. The researchers caution against small injuries to the nasal mucosa, which make it easier for bacteria to enter the brain. They advise against nose-picking or pulling hair from the nose.
The study’s findings are potentially alarming, as they suggest that bacteria entering the brain through the nose could cause dementia. The researchers’ cautionary advice is to be mindful of small injuries to the nasal mucosa and to avoid nose-picking or pulling hair from the nose. Further research is needed to confirm whether the same signal pathway works in humans and to determine how the bacteria enter the brain.
