Parkinson’s disease is when proteins called alpha-synuclein clump together. Because of the clumping of this protein, the nerve cells get damaged and it deteriorates the dopamine system and results in issues with movement and speech.
According to new research conducted by the John Hopkins University of Medicine, Parkinson's disease may start off in the gut. The study conducted on mice confirmed the theory that abnormally folded alpha-synuclein may originate in the gut and then eventually spread to the brain. This transmission happens through the vagus nerve, a nerve bundle that sends signals to and from the brain to several of the body’s organs, including the gut, reported a leading international daily.
“It supports and really provides the first experimental evidence that Parkinson’s disease can start in the gut and go up the vagus nerve,” said Ted Dawson, professor of neurology at the Johns Hopkins University School of medicine and co-author of the research.
The research also discovered that the folding of the protein has similar effects on the brain of mice as well as humans, and the symptoms it causes in both are similar. “We have what we think is a really accurate [animal] model that can be used to work out mechanisms – but also to test therapies,” said Dawson.
Through this research, it was discovered that when the proteins in the gut become misfolded, it results in a domino effect that led to the misfolding of the same alpha-synuclein protein in the brain as well.
“This study adds support to a growing base of evidence [implying] that changes in the gut play a key role in the initiation of Parkinson’s, although it is not believed to be the only place where the condition may start,” said Dr Beckie Port, a manager at the charity Parkinson’s UK.
“By identifying and halting these changes before they reach the brain, we may be able to prevent the majority of Parkinson’s symptoms ever appearing and improve the lives of people who will be affected,” she concluded.
