Bioengineered microbiotic levodopa therapy improves cognition and reduces pathology in a rat model of Alzheimer's...

Degeneration of the pontine noradrenergic and midbrain dopaminergic systems contributes to cognitive-behavioural disturbances during the prodromal stages of Alzheimer's disease (AD). We developed a genetically engineered, programmable probiotic Escherichia coli Nissle 1917 strain (EcN^rha _L-DOPA) capable of producing L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (L-DOPA) in a sustained and titratable manner, thus offering a novel gut-brain delivery mechanism to increase brain levels of noradrenaline and dopamine during the early stages of AD.

We replicated locus coeruleus (LC) projection system degeneration in AD by administering dopamine-β-hydroxylase IgG-saporin immunotoxin into the prefrontal cortex of 6-months-old Tg344-19 AD rats. The animals then received EcN^rha _L-DOPA/benserazide or placebo by daily gavage for 6 weeks. We assessed cognitive-behavioural function prior to postmortem assessments of amyloid-β plaque load, glial cell activation and neuronal and synaptic markers. Gut colonization, along with plasma and brain L-DOPA, dopamine, noradrenaline and metabolite levels, were also measured.

EcN^rha _L-DOPA displayed stable gut colonization and resulted in sustained therapeutic levels of L-DOPA in plasma and brain, resulting in increased cortical and hippocampal noradrenaline levels. EcN^rha _L-DOPA reduced anxiety-like behaviour improved spatial and working memory. The treatment reduced forebrain Aβ plaque and MHC-II antigen-presenting microglial load. Additionally, EcN^rha _L-DOPA increased protein levels of the dendritic spine marker PSD95.

This translational study suggests that EcN^rha _L-DOPA modifies AD by boosting brain catecholamine production, reducing Aβ accumulation and neuroinflammation, promoting synaptic health, and enhancing cognitive function. Collectively, these results highlight EcN^rha _L-DOPA as a promising preclinical engineered gut microbiome-based therapeutic strategy for early-stage AD.