Can Mold Illness Cause Lou Gehrig Disease ALS?

Mold is a type of fungus. Fungal toxins, or mold, produce mycotoxins (mold toxins). Fungal infections have been found in the central nervous system of ALS patients (Alonso R, 2015). This is because some types of pathogenic fungi sequester in tissue and release toxins that target and destroy CNS cells (Purzycki CB, 2010).

The dominant theory used to be that ALS was due to a poison. In looking for a specific poison, mycotoxins (mold toxins) were found (Reid, 2021). ALS patients often show signs of immune suppression. Mycotoxins often cause both neurotoxicity and immune suppression. In fact, mycotoxins may be able to explain the entire pathology in ALS (Reid, 2021).

Fungal infections are similar to neurodegenerative disease. They are usually chronic and progressive if untreated (Alonso R, 2015). The fungal pathogens in the CNS can provoke chronic inflammation, as well as a constant production of toxic microbial products (Purzycki CB, 2010). Both inflammation and microbial products can lead to neuronal degeneration and death (Alonso R, 2015).

Mycotoxins can cross the blood-brain barrier and directly damage nerve cells in the brain (Purzycki CB, 2010). The damaged cells release debris that triggers an immune response, creating more oxidative damage (Purzycki CB, 2010). This type of neuroinflammation is part of ALS (Alonso R, 2015).

A fungal infection could also cause the misfolded or incorrectly-processed proteins seen in ALS (Alonso R, 2015). This can depend on different factors:

• Which neural cells are affected
• Which fungal species has infected the CNS
• The genetic background of the patient and the state of the immune system
• The lifestyle of the individual

Differences in any of these factors could lead to different pathologies (Alonso R, 2015).

If different neurodegenerative diseases are caused by fungal infections, then they will share several similarities (Alonso R, 2015). We have written about and established evidence that mold, or a fungal infection, may be the root cause of Alzheimer’s Disease and Multiple Sclerosis.

In the case of ALS, fungal proteins and DNA have been found both in the CSF, the CNS and brain samples of ALS patients (French PW, 2019). Fungal infection has even been found in some neurons of the CNS in some ALS patients. Test results identify several different fungal species (Alonso R, 2015).

A low burden of infection, and the fact that the fungal material is very small, explains why it can be so difficult to detect infection in ALS (Alonso R, 2015).

ALS is a heterogeneous disease. This means that it presents differently in each patient and clinical symptoms can vary widely (Alonso R, 2015). ALS can progress very quickly in some people, who die within one year from diagnosis. Other patients can survive several years after the onset of clinical symptoms. The presence of different fungal species in each patient may account for these differences (Alonso R, 2015).

Another symptom in ALS is neuroinflammation (Alonso R, 2015).

Neuroinflammation is consistent with microbial infection. There is a systemic change in the immune system in patients suffering from ALS, which can be a result of microbial infection and its impact on the immune system (Alonso R, 2015).

Grass or soil-associated fungal infections have long been suspected to play a role in ALS (French PW, 2019). Clusters of ALS have been reported in soccer players, natives of Guam and farmers (French PW, 2019). Grass-associated fungi are known to produce a range of neurotoxins (French PW, 2019).

If a fungal infection can be confirmed as a root cause of ALS, then there is a straightforward treatment strategy for this fatal and previously incurable disease (French PW, 2019). ALS patients would likely benefit from antifungal therapies (Alonso R, 2015).

Can Bacteria be a Cause of Lou Gehrig Disease ALS?

It is likely that various microbial infections, which vary from patient to patient, are involved in ALS pathogenesis (Alonso R, 2019). This would explain why symptom severity can vary widely. Survival time after diagnosis is variable. Overlapping symptoms of different neurodegenerative diseases can be caused by an ever-changing mixture of microbial infections (Alonso R, 2019).

Having multiple infections and toxins may potentially worsen the severity and survival time of Lou Gehrig Disease ALS.

Signs of bacterial infection have been found in neural tissue in ALS patients. This shows the possibility of multiple microbial infections in the CNS of these patients. Different kinds of bacterial species can colonize the CNS and cause symptoms (Alonso R, 2019).

Is Lyme a Root Cause of Lou Gehrig Disease ALS?

The research on Lyme and ALS is somewhat conflicting. Some research says ALS can be caused by Lyme. Other sources strongly disagree with this conclusion. It is difficult to find a clear-cut answer to this question.

What is clear is that the diagnosis of Lyme disease can be very challenging. Lyme can mimic neurological disorders. It can mimic motor neuron disease and look like ALS (Burakgazi, 2014).

Careful examination is required to avoid an incorrect diagnosis (Burakgazi, 2014). Neuroborreliosis, a Borrelia infection of the brain, should certainly be considered in ALS (Wirsching I, 2019).

Borrelia burgdorferi is a bacterial species of the Borrelia spirochete. It causes Lyme disease and is transmitted to humans by infected ticks.

Borrelia burgdorferi may directly damage neurons and neural structures (Wirsching I, 2019). It may trigger autoimmune processes. A cross-reaction between Borrelia burgdorferi and neural antigens may be involved in the pathology of ALS (Wirsching I, 2019). In some cases of ALS in endemic areas, a correlation was found between Borrelia burgdorferi found in serum blood samples and ALS, yet this was not confirmed in later studies (Wirsching I, 2019).

There are cases of patients with motor neuron issues caused by neuroborreliosis (Lyme in the nervous system) (Wirsching I, 2019)

• A 63-year-old man was thought to have ALS (Wirsching I, 2019). However, CSF analysis showed it was actually neuroborreliosis. The patient had typical manifestations of motor neuron disease, but it was found to be acute neuroborreliosis (Wirsching I, 2019).
• A 61-year-old woman was thought to have motor neuron disease (Hänsel Y, 1995). But further testing indicated chronic infection from Borrelia burgdorferi. Symptoms improved after antibiotics. The initial diagnosis of ALS was revised to chronic neuroborreliosis (Hänsel Y, 1995).

In the case of neuroborreliosis, antibiotics treatment, or another Lyme protocol, can resolve or improve symptoms. In regions where Lyme disease is common, neuroborreliosis should be checked for and excluded in all neurological cases (De Cauwer H, 2009).

In Conclusion: The Way Forward for Lou Gehrig Disease ALS

The good news is that patients with ALS may not necessarily have to wait for new treatments or new medications to be discovered. They can simply start treatment for mold illness, Lyme disease or other antimicrobial protocols. In many cases, this would improve symptoms, and may even reverse ALS.

We regularly treat and resolve Lyme, mold and chronic microbial infections in patients of our Functional Medicine clinic. We have expertise in treating a range of infections, that could be causing ALS, or other neurodegenerative diseases.

** Please stay tuned for our next Blog!  **