James St. John: Nose picking may increase risk of Alzheimer’s and dementia

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A world-first study demonstrated that bacteria can travel through the olfactory nerves in the nose to the brains of mice, where they can create markers that are tell-tale signs of Alzheimer’s disease.

The human brain is thought to be the same as the mouse brain, and researchers at Griffith University in Queensland have found that picking your nose may increase your risk of Alzheimer’s disease and other brain disorders. Did.

the study Published in magazines scientific report.

It was attended by Professor James St. John, director of the Clem Jones Center for Neurobiology and Stem Cell Research at Griffith University. sunday morning Discuss your findings.

This study focused on the bacterium Chlamydia pneumoniae, which causes respiratory tract infections.

“These bacteria are very common. We have them in our bodies all the time,” St. John said.

“It may well be known to cause pneumonia in the lungs, but it is also present in the nose and has been associated with Alzheimer’s disease in humans.

“But we don’t know if they get there and what they do on their journey to the brain.”

Photo: Armin Kubelbeck, CC BY-SA 3.0

During the experiment, droplets of bacteria were placed into the mouse’s nostrils.

“Clamydia pneumoniae is of particular interest because of its association with Alzheimer’s disease,” St. John said.

“It was extracted from plaques in the brains of people who died of Alzheimer’s disease.

“What are the scientists saying they are doing there, and is it causing their condition?”

Bacteria exist, of course, but the concern is how certain bacteria will react to humans.

“We breathe in millions of bacteria every day, most of which we do nothing about.

He said it could take years for the effects of an infection to be seen.

“We believe these bacteria invade at very low levels and cause increasing damage over time.

“Alzheimer’s disease is likely caused by slow progression over a long period of time.

“It’s not about being infected at 60. It’s being infected at 30, 40, 50 that’s causing the problem.”

As a rule of thumb for good hygiene and disease prevention, St. John said he generally warned people not to pick their noses or pluck their nose hairs.

“We’ve said before that you can get these bacterial infections at any time in your life, so we warn people of all ages.

“It’s probably not wise to do any kind of damage to the lining of your nose. You can think of cuts anywhere on the skin, on your arm or leg, and they could become infected with bacteria.

“Even if you can’t see it, doing it in your nose can allow bacteria to enter.”

“If you have a problem with nose hair, just cut it with scissors.”

Professor James St. John.
Photo: Courtesy / Griffith University

Don’t be too graphic, said St. John, but if you’re going to pick your nose, be gentle.

“If you’re careful, you’ll be fine, but you’ll have to think again about why you want to pick your nose.”

St. John said we have millions of bacteria in our noses, but “the problem is when the balance is thrown off.”

The jump from mice to humans and what it means for Alzheimer’s research needs further investigation.

“That’s what we’re going to do next: look at people who have Alzheimer’s or early stages of it, look at what bacteria they have in their noses, and see if we can detect any genes or proteins. It should be similar to what you see with a mouse.

“Then we can work out how to treat it, and that’s the most important thing.

“We need to find treatments so that we can reduce the onset and progression of this contribution to Alzheimer’s disease.”

As the Covid-19 pandemic has shown, bacterial and viral infections that reach the brain can cause a variety of problems.

“People in the old days thought that the brain was sterile and free of bacteria and viruses, but we know this is not the case.

“The novel coronavirus is a prime example of how we suddenly realize more about what these microbes can do.

“People infected with COVID-19 often report that they have lost their sense of smell, because the virus kills some of the cells in the nasal mucosa, exposing nerves to infection.

“And we know Covid can get into people’s brains and cause Covid-like long-term systems.

“We all have bacteria in our brains, but not everyone gets Alzheimer’s disease. So why do some people get Alzheimer’s disease? It could be a combination of , and it could also be a genetic factor.”

“Some bacteria are very sneaky,” he says, and low levels of bacteria can cause serious damage over time.

Our nostrils take in air millions of times in our lifetime, but not all of us get sick every day. What keeps bacteria at bay?

“Bad” bacteria getting into the nose “I think it’s more common than we think,” said St. John.

“Our body is a very good defense mechanism.”