The Chlamydia pneumoniae bacteria can travel directly from olfactory nerve in the nose and into the brain, forcing brain cells to deposit amyloid beta and inducing Alzheimer's pathologies. Researchers say protecting the lining of the nose by not picking or plucking nasal hairs can help lower Alzheimer's risks.
Chlamydia pneumoniae, a bacterium that is commonly present in the nose, can invade the brain via nerves in the nasal cavity. Once the bacterium is in the central nervous system, brain cells react within days, depositing Alzheimer's-associated amyloid-beta peptides.
FIASMA antidepressants, such as amitriptyline and desipramine, halt the growth of four different kinds of bacterial pathogens in cell cultures and animal models. The antidepressants have shown to be effective in killing intracellular bacteria in two chlamydia infections, as well as human granulocytic anaplasmosis, a tick-borne disease that attacks white blood cells.