[carbocation]

If Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is caused by fungal infection, why have antifungals (often given for people with invasive fungal disease) never cured an AD patient? AD is common enough that many of these people will have received antifungals for e.g. esophageal thrush or even fungemia.

Regarding the research, the data presented here are not convincing without larger scale replication with better controls and more standardized assays.

[tankenmate]

One possible reason I can think of is that the immune system in the brain is somewhat different from the rest of the body; not quite on par with say the mammary glands, testes, or eyes. Obviously I am not a doctor etc, anti biotics etc can have reduced effect in body parts that have reduced or modified immune responses; maybe anti fungals are similar?

[carbocation]

It is true that medication penetration of the blood-brain barrier and delivery to the brain is different from other organs (each organ has unique characteristics in this regard).

But we do treat people with CNS infections routinely, including CNS fungal infections.

[pohl]

Good question. Are anti fungal molecules small enough to cross the blood brain barrier easily?

[tptacek]

Yes, a bunch of them, including fluconazole, which is a first-line treatment for common fungal infections.