Health
Common respiratory bacteria detected in eyes of Alzheimer’s patients
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A bacterium prevalent in sinus infections and pneumonia may aggravate Alzheimer’s disease, according to a recent study published in Nature Communications.
The bacterium, Chlamydia pneumoniae, was found in the eyes of deceased patients with Alzheimer’s disease, according to researchers from Cedars-Sinai’s Health Sciences University in California.
“The retina is directly connected with the brain. It’s a developmental extension of the brain,” lead researcher Maya Koronyo-Hamaoui, PhD, professor of neurosurgery, neurology and biomedical sciences at Cedars-Sinai Health Sciences University, told Fox News Digital.
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Eye-brain link
The study showed that Chlamydia pneumoniae could reach the retinal tissue that lines the back of the eye and linger for several years, creating an inflammatory response potentially linked to the death of nerve cells. This could contribute to cognitive decline and could worsen Alzheimer’s disease symptoms.
A bacterium prevalent in sinus infections and pneumonia may aggravate Alzheimer’s disease, according to a recent study published in Nature Communications. (iStock)
The findings point to potential therapies for Alzheimer’s disease that would target inflammation and provide antibiotic treatment in the early stages of infection, according to Koronyo-Hamaoui.
“One hope of this study is that when people do present with some [symptoms of] pneumonia or atypical pneumonia or some respiratory infection, doctors should consider testing specifically for Chlamydia pneumoniae, and then give them the specific antibiotic,” the researcher said.
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The infection can be identified through laboratory testing, including PCR (polymerase chain reaction), blood tests, or cultures that allow live organisms to grow for analysis.
Inside the study
The researchers examined retinal tissue samples from over 100 deceased individuals who fell into three groups: those who had Alzheimer’s disease, those who had some cognitive deficit or those who did not have the disease.
“The retina is directly connected with the brain. It’s a developmental extension of the brain,” the lead researcher said. (iStock)
They analyzed proteins, conducted genetic testing and used advanced imaging techniques on the samples. Those with Alzheimer’s disease had higher levels of the bacterium in their brains and retinal tissue compared to those who had normal cognition, the release stated.
Genetic risk
Higher levels of chlamydia pneumonia were found in those who carried the gene variant APOE4, which is an associated risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease, Koronyo-Hamaoui added. The bacterium was also associated with more severe cognition decline.
Those with Alzheimer’s disease had higher levels of the bacterium in their brains and retinal tissue compared to those who had normal cognition. (iStock)
The Cedars-Sinai team also looked at human neurons and lab mice with Alzheimer’s disease, finding that Chlamydia pneumoniae was linked to increased inflammation, nerve cell death and cognitive decline, further suggesting that it may play a role in accelerating the disease.
The infection also prompted production of amyloid-beta, which is a protein known to accumulate in the brains of those with Alzheimer’s, Koronyo-Hamaoui said.
While the study points toward using the retina as a way to diagnose and monitor the disease, the researcher acknowledged that more research is needed to confirm these findings.
Experts urge caution
Dr. Aaron Glatt, chief of infectious diseases at Mount Sinai South Nassau on Long Island, New York, was not involved with the study but called the findings “interesting.”
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Glatt, who is also a spokesperson for the Infectious Diseases Society of America, emphasized that the findings only show an association and not causation, and that much more clinical research is needed.
“It does not mean infections cause Alzheimer’s or that people should worry about past respiratory illnesses.”
“Chlamydia pneumoniae is a very common respiratory pathogen that many people are exposed to throughout their lives,” he told Fox News Digital. “While the study identifies a link between this bacterium and neurodegeneration, a standard sinus infection does not mean a patient will develop Alzheimer’s.”
The key takeaway, according to Glatt, is that the study opens new doors for potential diagnostics and treatments, but is “not a reason for immediate alarm regarding common infections.”
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Dr. Sharon Fekrat, MD, a clinical spokesperson for the American Academy of Ophthalmology and a retina specialist at the Duke University School of Medicine in North Carolina, agreed that the findings could help researchers better understand how inflammation may drive disease progression and “could lead to new ways to detect or treat Alzheimer’s in the future.”
The infection also prompted production of amyloid-beta, which is a protein known to accumulate in the brains of those with Alzheimer’s. (iStock)
“This is early research suggesting that infection-related inflammation may worsen Alzheimer’s disease in people who are already vulnerable,” Fekrat, who also did not work on the study, told Fox News Digital. “It does not mean infections cause Alzheimer’s or that people should worry about past respiratory illnesses.”
What’s next
While some teams are developing and testing retinal imaging tools in living patients, those methods are not yet part of routine clinical screenings or diagnosis, Fekrat noted.
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For now, the best proven steps include following brain-healthy habits, such as managing cardiovascular risk factors, staying mentally and socially engaged, and seeking medical care for any cognitive symptoms, the expert added.
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Along a bustling sidewalk in Boston, a bright yellow payphone invites folks to “call a Boomer.”
Almost 3,000 miles away in Reno, Nevada, a nearly identical phone prompts residents of Sierra Manor – an apartment complex for seniors – to “Call a Zoomer.” The goal is simple: to get strangers to talk to each other.
The project, often referred to as simply “Call a Boomer,” is the latest initiative from Matter Neuroscience, a New York-based company dedicated to mapping the “biomarkers of happiness.”
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By connecting “two of the loneliest demographics” (older adults and younger adults), the project aims to prove that on a molecular level, “humans need one another in order to be happy,” according to Calla Kessler, a social strategist at Matter Neuroscience.
Along a bustling sidewalk in Boston, a bright yellow payphone invites folks to “Call a Boomer.” (Matter Neuroscience)
“Younger adults and older adults tend to experience the highest levels of loneliness of any age group,” the company wrote on its website. “So the goal of this project is to inspire generational connection through meaningful conversations, despite differences in age, lifestyle or politics.”
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The hope, according to Kessler, is that the calls will shift the brain’s focus from stress to bonding.
“Our neuroscience angle is cannabinoids over cortisol,” Kessler told Fox News Digital. “Cannabinoids are the feel-good neurotransmitter in our brain that creates that warm feeling with a friendship — and when you activate cannabinoids, you’re counteracting the negative effects of cortisol, which is our primary stress hormone.”
“Younger adults and older adults tend to experience the highest levels of loneliness of any age group,” the company noted. (Matter Neuroscience)
This isn’t Matter’s first round of payphones. Its initial experiment connected one of the most liberal cities in the U.S. (San Francisco) with one of the most conservative (Abilene, Texas).
“We basically just wanted people to find common ground and encourage people to think beyond labels,” Kessler said.
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She noted that the negative results were “almost negligible,” with most participants enjoying their time speaking to different people.
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Now, the focus has shifted from political labels to generational divides.
The negative results have beem “almost negligible,” with most participants enjoying their time speaking to different people. (Matter Neuroscience)
As the “Call a Boomer” experiment continues, the team is busy collecting audio files of these intergenerational chats to prove that simple connections with other humans can help improve mental health.
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“Our research is essentially trying to find a non-pharmaceutical cure to depression,” Kessler added.
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Looking ahead, she said, “we’ll definitely be doing fun things that we hope get people’s attention and inspire them to learn a little more about themselves.”
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A New York City father is desperately seeking a donor to save his teenage son’s life.
Max Uribe, now 15 and a high-school freshman, has just weeks until he will need to be hospitalized with a rare blood disorder that could lead to a deadly cancer.
“Max was just 6 when we first noticed there was something wrong with his blood counts,” his father, Juan Uribe, told Fox News Digital. “At the time, we thought it was due to a viral infection, but they never fully recovered back to their normal level.”
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In December 2024, Max’s condition grew worse, and he was diagnosed with clonal cytopenia, a condition involving the blood and bone marrow.
“All three of his blood counts are low — red, white and platelets,” Uribe said.
Max Uribe, pictured with his parents and sister, is in urgent need of a stem cell transplant to save his life. (Uribe Family)
In August 2025, another bone marrow biopsy revealed that Max is on a path to bone marrow failure, creating an urgent need for a stem cell transplant.
“The disease has continued to progress, as his blood counts continue to drop, and therefore, we have to take him to transplant in May of this year,” Uribe said.
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If left untreated, Max’s condition could lead to MDS (myelodysplastic syndrome), a type of blood cancer, and from there possibly into acute myeloid leukemia (AML).
A bone marrow match must have a specific type of HLA (human leukocyte antigen), which are proteins found on the surface of most cells in the body, according to the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP).
Max Uribe, pictured with his parents, will be hospitalized for a transplant in May, as his blood count has been steadily decreasing. (Uribe Family)
The closer the donor’s HLA markers are to the patient’s, the more likely the body will accept the new cells without a high risk of complications.
People from the same ethnic background are more likely to share similar HLA types, meaning a patient is most likely to find a compatible donor among individuals with similar ancestry, per the NMDP.
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Non-Hispanic White patients have a 79% chance of a perfect match. That drops to 49% for Hispanic/Latino patients, 29% for Black patients and even lower for mixed ancestries, the NMDP reports.
Because Max is a “very rare combination” of half-Colombian from his father and a mix of Italian, British and German from his mother, his path to a perfect match is proving much more difficult, Uribe noted.
“For a kid like Max, with complex, mixed heritage, the math is devastating.”
“For a kid like Max, with complex, mixed heritage, the math is devastating,” he said. “The thinking is, we need large numbers if we’re going to have that perfect match for my son.”
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Max, who participates in competitive tennis and varsity wrestling, just had additional blood work done on Friday, which revealed that his counts continue to plummet.
“We’re at the point where this is beginning to manifest a bit more, which is why the urgency is so critical,” Uribe said.
Because Max is a “very rare combination” of half-Colombian from his father and a mix of Italian, British and German from his mother, his path to a perfect match is proving much more difficult. (Uribe Family)
If a donor is not secured by Max’s hospitalization in May, the medical team will have to proceed with a partial match, which is not ideal for a number of reasons.
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“The survival rate is meaningfully lower with a partial match, and there’s more risk of graft versus host disease (GVHD), which could lead to complications in the process,” Uribe said. With GVHD, the donor cells begin to attack the body.
Max Uribe, an active athlete, is on a path to bone marrow failure, requiring a stem cell transplant. (Uribe Family)
To help prevent this with a partial match, Max would likely need chemotherapy and immunosuppressants for a longer period of time, which could weaken his immune system.
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Anyone interested in donating can order a free test kit on the Team Max website. The kit includes a quick cheek swab that is sent back to the lab to determine whether someone is a match.
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