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The Use of Primary Human Fibroblasts for Monitoring Mitochondrial Phenotypes in the Field of Parkinson's Disease
15:09

The Use of Primary Human Fibroblasts for Monitoring Mitochondrial Phenotypes in the Field of Parkinson's Disease

Published on: October 3, 2012

Microbiome, Parkinson's Disease and Molecular Mimicry

Fabiana Miraglia1,2, Emanuela Colla3

  • 1Department of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, via Bonanno 6, 56126 Pisa, Italy. miragliafabiana@gmail.com.

Cells
|March 15, 2019
PubMed

Insights

The gut microbiota may influence Parkinson's Disease (PD) development. Bacterial products can promote alpha-synuclein aggregation and inflammation, potentially contributing to PD pathology.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Microbiology
  • Gastroenterology

Background:

  • Parkinson's Disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder primarily affecting motor function.
  • Lewy bodies, a hallmark of PD, are found outside the central nervous system (CNS), including the olfactory bulbs and enteric nervous system.
  • Alpha-synuclein (αS) aggregation and prion-like propagation are key pathological features.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the role of the microbiota in Parkinson's Disease (PD) pathology.
  • To investigate mechanisms of microbiota-host interactions implicated in PD onset.
  • To explore how microbial factors influence alpha-synuclein (αS) aggregation and pro-inflammatory responses.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of current research on microbiota and PD.
  • Analysis of mechanisms involving bacterial amyloid proteins and metabolites.
  • Examination of gut-brain axis interactions in PD pathogenesis.

Main Results:

  • The microbiota is increasingly recognized for its potential role in PD.
  • Bacterial amyloid proteins and metabolites may influence αS aggregation.
  • A pro-inflammatory gut environment, potentially driven by microbiota, may contribute to PD.

Conclusions:

  • While no single microbial species is definitively linked to PD, microbiota-host interactions are crucial.
  • Further research is needed to elucidate the specific harmful interactions between the microbiota and the host in PD pathogenesis.
  • Understanding these interactions is vital for exploring the relevance of the microbiota in PD development.
Keywords:
Parkinson’s diseasealpha-synucleincurligut-brain axismicrobiomemicrobiotamolecular mimicryneurodegeneration

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