Gut microbes and Parkinson’s

Gut microbes may offer early warning of Parkinson’s risk

New research suggests that changes in the gut microbiome could help identify people at risk of developing Parkinson’s disease years before symptoms appear.

The study, funded by the Medical Research Council and led by researchers at University College London (UCL), found that people with Parkinson’s – as well as those with a genetic predisposition to the condition – have a distinct pattern of gut microbes.

Researchers say the findings could pave the way for new tests to identify individuals at higher risk, as well as potential approaches to prevent the condition by targeting gut health.
 

Growing evidence of a gut–brain link

Parkinson’s disease is a progressive neurological condition that affects movement and can have a significant impact on independence and daily life.

There is increasing scientific interest in the connection between the brain and the gut microbiome – the trillions of microorganisms that live in the digestive system.
 

Professor Anthony Schapira, lead investigator at the UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, said:

“Parkinson’s disease is a major cause of disability worldwide, and the fastest growing neurodegenerative disease in terms of prevalence and mortality.

There is an urgent need to develop treatments that can stop or slow the disease’s progression.

To enable both the research and eventual use of such treatments, we need to develop the means for very early detection of people who will, or likely will, go on to develop the disease.

In recent years there has been a growing recognition of the links between Parkinson’s disease – a brain disorder – and gut health.

Here we have strengthened that evidence and shown that microbes in the gut can reveal signs of Parkinson’s and may be an early warning signal of Parkinson’s risk years before symptom onset.”

What the study found

The international research team analysed clinical and stool sample data from participants in the UK and Italy, including people with Parkinson’s disease, those at genetic risk, and healthy individuals.

They found that the composition of gut microbes differed significantly between groups.

More than a quarter of microbial species in the gut microbiome varied in abundance between people with Parkinson’s and healthy controls. Some microbes were more common in those with the condition, while others were more prevalent in healthy individuals.

Importantly, similar patterns were also seen in people who carry a genetic variant linked to Parkinson’s but who have not yet developed symptoms.

Researchers say this “intermediate” microbial profile could indicate an elevated risk of developing the disease.
 

Key findings from the study

 

Potential for earlier diagnosis

The researchers believe that analysing the gut microbiome could eventually help identify people at risk of Parkinson’s before symptoms develop.

This could allow earlier intervention, including the use of future treatments designed to slow or prevent the disease.

The findings were reinforced by comparisons with additional groups in the UK, Korea and Turkey, involving hundreds more participants.
 

Could diet play a role?

The study also explored participants’ dietary habits and found some evidence that people with more varied and balanced diets were less likely to have gut microbiome patterns associated with increased Parkinson’s risk.

This raises the possibility that dietary changes could help influence gut bacteria and potentially reduce risk.
 

Professor Stanislav Dusko Ehrlich, co-lead author, said:

“Gut microbiome analysis can enable us to identify individuals who are at risk of developing Parkinson’s disease, so that we can suggest ways for them to reduce their own risk, such as through dietary adjustments.”

Professor Schapira added:

“For the first time we identify bacteria in the gut of people with Parkinson’s that can also be found in those with a genetic risk for the disease, but before they develop symptoms.

Importantly, these same changes can be found in a small proportion of the general population that may put them at increased risk for Parkinson’s.

This discovery opens the way not only to see if the bacteria are a way to identify those at risk of Parkinson’s, but also to see if changing the bacterial population, through dietary changes or medication, can reduce a person’s risk for Parkinson’s.”

What it could mean for the future

While more research is needed, the study adds to growing evidence that the gut microbiome may play a key role in Parkinson’s disease.

If confirmed, this could lead to:

• earlier and more accurate identification of people at risk
• new approaches to prevention through diet or medication
• improved understanding of how Parkinson’s develops

The research was supported by the Medical Research Council and the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research.
 

Article ends – click to return to top or check out related resources below

Further reading and resources

You can download the full report from Nature Medicine (external link will open in a new browser tab or window)

Blood biomarkers – early signs for Parkinson’s

Physical activity with Parkinson’s

Exercise, depression and Parkinson’s

Make sure you don’t miss out on news from Independent Living

return to top