A common bacteria that boosts digestive health can slow – and even reverse – build-up of a protein associated with Parkinson’s, new research suggests. Building on previous research linking brain function to gut bacteria, this study in a Parkinson’s model of roundworms, identified a probiotic – or good bacteria – which prevents the formation of toxic clumps that starve the brain of dopamine, a key chemical that coordinates movement. These new findings could pave the way for future studies that gauge how supplements such as probiotics impact the condition. The study, published in the journal Cell Reports, was funded by Parkinson’s UK, the EMBO and the European Commission. It is the latest in a number of recent studies which have found a link between brain function and the thousands of different kinds of bacteria living in the gut microbiome.
Probiotic bacteria could guard against Parkinson’s
