A common gut bacteria that boosts digestive health could slow – and even reverse – the build-up of a protein linked to Parkinson’s, a new study suggests.
Building on previous research linking brain function to gut bacteria, this study in a Parkinson’s model of roundworms, identified a probiotic – or so-called good bacteria – which prevents the formation of toxic clumps that starve the brain of dopamine, a key chemical that coordinates movement.
The findings, published in the journal Cell Reports, could pave the way for future studies that gauge how supplements such as probiotics impact the condition.
“The results provide an opportunity to investigate how changing the bacteria that make up our gut microbiome affects Parkinson’s,” said study lead author Maria Doitsidou, from the University of Edinburgh in UK.
“The next steps are to confirm these results in mice, followed by fast-tracked clinical trials since the probiotic we tested is already commercially available,” Doitsidou added.
According to the study, in the brains of people with Parkinson’s, alpha-synuclein protein misfolds and builds up, forming toxic clumps.
These clumps are associated with the death of nerve cells responsible for producing dopamine.
The loss of these cells causes the motor symptoms associated with Parkinson’s, including freezing, tremors and slowness of movement. (IANS)
