New Study Links Gut Bacteria and Neurodegenerative Conditions
Summary: A new study reports on an association between specific gut brain bacteria species and the manifestation of neurodegenerative disorders in the head brain, including Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and ALS which effects millions of people worldwide.
Lead scientific investigator, Czyz at the University of Florida is testing hundreds of strains of bacteria found in the human gut to see how they affect protein aggregation in the C. elegans worm. The group is also investigating how bacteria associated with neurological-degeneration cause protein mis-folding at the molecular level.
All neurodegenerative diseases can be traced to problems with the way proteins are handled in the body. If proteins are mis-folded, they build up and accumulate in tissues. These protein aggregates, as scientists call them, interfere with cell functioning and lead to neurodegenerative disorders.
Looking at the microbiome is a relatively new approach to investigating what causes neurodegenerative diseases. In their study, they were able to show that specific species of bacteria play a role in the development of neurological-degenerative conditions.