Gut-brain axis and environmental factors in Parkinson's disease: bidirectional link between disease onset and progression.
Gut-brain axis and environmental factors in Parkinson's disease: bidirectional link between disease onset and progression.
Where did the research take place?
The study site has not been established. Author addresses may differ from where the research occurred.
Suwon, KR · Author affiliation
Department of Brain Science, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, South Korea.Location evidence
Chuncheon, KR · Author affiliation
Department of Life Science and Multidisciplinary Genome Institute, Hallym University, Chuncheon, South Korea.Location evidence
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Original abstract
Parkinson's disease has long been considered a disorder that primarily affects the brain, as it is defined by the dopaminergic neurodegeneration in the substantia nigra and the brain accumulation of Lewy bodies containing α-synuclein protein. In recent decades, however, accumulating research has revealed that Parkinson's disease also involves the gut and uncovered an intimate and important bidirectional link between the brain and the gut, called the "gut-brain axis." Numerous clinical studies demonstrate that gut dysfunction frequently precedes motor symptoms in Parkinson's disease patients, with findings including impaired intestinal permeability, heightened inflammation, and distinct gut microbiome profiles and metabolites. Furthermore, α-synuclein deposition has been consistently observed in the gut of Parkinson's disease patients, suggesting a potential role in disease initiation. Importantly, individuals with vagotomy have a reduced Parkinson's disease risk. From these observations, researchers have hypothesized that α-synuclein accumulation may initiate in the gut and subsequently propagate to the central dopaminergic neurons through the gut-brain axis, leading to Parkinson's disease. This review comprehensively examines the gut's involvement in Parkinson's disease, focusing on the concept of a gut-origin for the disease. We also examine the interplay between altered gut-related factors and the accumulation of pathological α-synuclein in the gut of Parkinson's disease patients. Given the accessibility of the gut to both dietary and pharmacological interventions, targeting gut-localized α-synuclein represents a promising avenue for developing effective Parkinson's disease therapies.