New research done by a team from the University of Florida has uncovered evidence that links the manifestation of neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and ALS to the presence of specific bacteria types in the gut.
Previous research had pointed to gut microbiota changes in people who suffered from neurodegenerative conditions. However, the huge diversity of bacteria in the digestive tract made it a daunting task to pinpoint the specific bacteria types connected to neurodegenerative diseases. This is the challenge that the University of Florida team took head on.
Rather than study the gut microorganisms of humans, the researchers opted to study the gut bacteria of tiny worms known as Caenorhabditis elegans. Why C. elegans worms, of all creatures?
The team opted to use C. elegans worms for a number of reasons. First, these worms feed on bacteria, so it wouldn’t be hard to introduce the species of interest into the guts of the worms. Secondly, the worms have a simple structure dependent on a total of just 959 cells. It is therefore easy to analyze what effects the bacteria have on the worms.
Additionally, the C. elegans worms have a translucent body, making it possible for the research team to color code the bacteria so that the worms with certain bacteria glow. The general structure of the worms is also similar to that of humans — on a tiny scale — so it is easy to draw some parallels from what is observed in the worms.
Scientists have known for a while that every neurodegenerative disease is linked to malfunctions in protein handling within the body, especially when proteins are folded wrongly within the body. Those misfolded proteins build up and interfere with the way the body normally works. As a result of this interference, neurodegenerative conditions develop.
Armed with this background information, the researchers sought to establish which bacteria colonies caused protein aggregates, or clumps of misfolded proteins, in the worms. The team noticed that some bacteria species caused the C. elegans worms to glow, a sign that protein aggregates are present, in not just the intestines but all over the bodies of the affected worms. Most concerning was the realization that even the offspring of the affected worms had protein aggregates, yet those offspring hadn’t been exposed to the “bad” bacteria.
The team observed that the worms whose tissues glowed lost mobility, a characteristic evident in humans who have developed neurodegenerative conditions.
Lead author Alyssa Walker and her doctoral studies dissertation advisor, Daniel Czyz, also noticed that some species of bacteria produce substances that counteract the impact of the compounds, which trigger protein aggregation, and patients with neurodegenerative diseases lack those “good” bacteria.
The team now hopes to conduct further research using larger animal models, eventually working their way to humans in order to develop remedies based on their findings.
As more information becomes available about the link between gut bacteria and a number of neurological conditions, it is likely that a greater appreciation of nutraceutical products designed to enhanced brain health, such as those made by Healthy Extracts Inc. (OTCQB: HYEX), will be the result.
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