Alzheimer’s may be prevented with toothpaste: Researchers

CANADA, (RT.COM), 9 FEB, 2022 - A protein called SCPPPQ1 that normally makes gums adhere to teeth may prove effective in combating a bacterium called P. gingivalis, which could cause Alzheimer’s disease and other neurodegenerative conditions, a research team from the University of Montreal, Canada, has discovered.

The study led by Antonio Nanci, a researcher and professor in the Department of Stomatology at the university, was published in the British journal Nature in early December.

The bacterium traditionally associated with the periodontal disease appears to also be linked to various neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s, the researchers say, according to a press release published by the university on Tuesday. The protein expressed by junctional epithelium and present in the part of the gums that surrounds the teeth may slow the replication of P. gingivalis and even destroy it, revealed the study, which also involved scientists from Laval University, Quebec, and McGill University, Montreal.