Gut-directed therapy in Parkinson's disease

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Gastroenterology
• Microbiology

Background:

• Parkinson's disease (PD) involves motor and non-motor symptoms, notably gastrointestinal (GI) dysfunctions.
• The microbiota-gut-brain (MGB) axis, a bacterial-neuro-immune pathway, is increasingly implicated in PD progression.
• PD patients exhibit altered gut microbiota, impaired intestinal barrier, and neuroinflammation, contributing to brain pathology.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the current understanding of the MGB axis in Parkinson's disease.
• To explore the therapeutic potential of gut-directed interventions for PD.
• To examine how MGB axis modulation can be integrated into clinical practice for PD management.

Main Methods:

• Comprehensive literature review on the MGB axis and Parkinson's disease.
• Analysis of studies on dietary interventions, prebiotics, probiotics, synbiotics, and fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT).
• Evaluation of evidence from both PD patients and animal models.

Main Results:

• Gut dysbiosis and MGB axis dysfunction are associated with PD.
• Gut-directed therapies demonstrate beneficial effects in PD patients and models.
• Mechanisms involve halting or slowing PD pathology through MGB axis modulation.

Conclusions:

• Modulating the MGB axis represents a promising therapeutic strategy for Parkinson's disease.
• Dietary interventions, probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics, and FMT warrant further investigation and clinical application.
• Targeting the gut microbiome offers a novel approach to manage PD symptoms and progression.