The Complexities of Fungal Infections: Exploring the Impact on the Brain
Although most fungi are harmless to humans, some can wreak havoc on our health, causing problems that range from thrush to infections in the brain.
The study, by researchers at Baylor College of Medicine, found that a fungal infection in the brain produced effects similar to those seen in Alzheimer’s disease.
The fungus in the study was Candida albicans (C. albicans), and using animal models, the research team discovered how this common fungus enters the brain, activates mechanisms for its clearance, and generates amyloid beta-like peptides—toxic protein fragments thought to be central to the development of Alzheimer’s disease.
The findings highlight our complex relationship with fungus and raise additional questions about how those infections affect our health and their implications in neurodegenerative disorders like Parkinson’s, multiple sclerosis, ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), and Alzheimer’s.
A Bit About Fungi
So, what exactly are fungi, and how do they affect us?
Fungi are a group of spore-producing organisms that feed on dead organic matter and living organisms and include molds, yeasts, mushrooms, and mildew.
C. albicans is a common fungus and has been found in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s as well as in those with other chronic neurodegenerative disorders. It’s a form of yeast present in the gastrointestinal tract, mouth, skin, and reproductive tract of most humans.
Dr. C. Orian Truss and the Yeast Connection
The relationship we share with fungi (and yeast in particular) and its connection to our health made a leap in 1978 when renowned cardiologist Dr. C. Orian Truss published an article called “Tissue Injury Induced by Candida Albicans: Mental and Neurologic Manifestations,” which appeared in the Journal of Orthomolecular Psychiatry.
![Candida albicans is a type of fungus that lives in places like your mouth, your belly, and even on your skin. (Kateryna Kon/Shutterstock)](https://www.theepochtimes.com/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimg.theepochtimes.com%2Fassets%2Fuploads%2F2022%2F12%2F14%2Fshutterstock_1815806093-600x338.jpg&w=1200&q=75)
Another physician and contemporary of Dr. Truss was Dr. William Crook, who, although initially skeptical of Dr. Truss’ hypothesis, became a believer after one of his “stuck” patients saw Dr. Truss and experienced relief from many previously untreatable symptoms.
Dr. Crook began practicing according to Dr. Truss’s model, leading him to write “The Yeast Connection” in 1986.
Despite the work of Dr. Truss and Dr Crook, mainstream medicine largely rejected the concept of yeast and its negative impact on human health at the time. Almost fifty years later, much of their work has been vindicated, and many of their hypothesized connections have been proven correct.
Evidence Linking Fungi to Neurodegenerative Diseases
As mentioned in our previous article, several studies have found intriguing evidence that fungal infections are present in the central nervous systems of those with Alzheimer’s and not in healthy individuals who served as the controls.
Fungal Infections in the Brain
Dr. David Corry, a professor of pathology, immunology, and medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, is one of the original study’s authors, and his lab has years of experience studying fungi.
“Our work focused exclusively on the mouse, as you note, and the fungus Candida albicans. However, it has long been known that C. albicans commonly infects humans and likely has infected the entire species. In a subsequent publication, we will explore the issue of C. albicans brain infections of humans.”
Additionally, there is the question of how these infections get into the brain in the first place and across the blood-brain barrier, which protects the brain from invasion and infection.
“We show in our publication that C. albicans uses its secreted enzymes (proteinases) to essentially dissolve the proteins that keep the blood-brain barrier tight, allowing the fungus to enter the brain proper.” Dr. Corry said. “In more detail, we show that most or all of the secreted aspartic proteinases (Saps) secreted by C. albicans (total of 10) are involved in this, but by far the most important one is Sap2.”
“When the fungus is injected intravenously into mice, as we do with our model system, they immediately go to many organs, but the brain is certainly one of the big ones. This initial infection is indeed cleared after 10 days and occurs by the actions of infection-fighting cells of the brain called ’microglia.’
“We showed two pathways that microglia detect C. albicans in the brain, allowing the microglia to attack and kill the fungi. Pathway 1 involves the secretion by C. albicans of a protein called candidalysin. Candidalysin is detected by a specific receptor on microglia (called Mac-1 or CD11b), triggering the activation of the microglia and turning them into C. albicans killing machines. Pathway 2 involves again the Saps. Saps break down a protein found in the brain called amyloid precursor protein (APP) into small fragments called amyloid beta (Ab) peptides. These peptides are detected by another receptor protein on microglia called Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) that also activates microglia to kill the fungi.”
Testing
Although Dr. Corry says that complete avoidance of infections by C. albicans is not possible, as C. albicans has, most likely, already infected the entire human species—he did say that it may be possible to eliminate C. albicans from humans—something he hopes to work on in the future.
Dr. Corry states that there are presently no tests for the presence of a fungal infection in the brain. In the meantime, however, there are ways to test if you have a fungal infection elsewhere and to test for the presence of mold in your home.
“As far as I’m concerned, every illness, whether it’s high blood pressure, cancer, brain disorders, heart attacks, strokes, blood clots, COVID, immune issues—living in a water-damaged home, contaminated with mold and/or bacteria is a contributing cause.”
If you suspect you may have mold in your body, Dr. Wolfson’s website offers a mold mycotoxin test. The test is a urine-based panel that tests for more than 30 different toxins that are released from the environment and food molds. Those with compromised immune systems are much more susceptible to fungal infections and may benefit from this type of testing to detect the presence of mold and help get to the root of their health issues.
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