New study links gum disease and Alzheimer’s

Fusobacterium nucleatum (F. nucleatum) is a periodontal pathogen which proliferates in periodontal disease. Commonly, this bacterium affects the gums and jaw, left untreated it can result in unstable teeth or tooth loss.

Jake Jinkun Chen, professor of periodontology and director of the Division of Oral Biology at Tufts University School of Dental Medicine said, “In this study, our lab is the first to find that Fusobacterium nucleatum can generate systemic inflammation and even infiltrate nervous system tissues and exacerbate the signs and symptoms of Alzheimer's disease."

The first author of the paper, Hongle Wu, a post-doctoral fellow in the chemistry lab at the time of the studies publication, noted can also generate severe generalized inflammation, which is a symptom of many chronic diseases including Type 2 diabetes and Alzheimer's disease.