The origins of neuro-degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s are still a mystery—but scientists reckon the culprit could be a worm in the gut.
Researchers have suspected the diseases could start in the gut but finding the responsible bacteria has been like finding the proverbial needle in the haystack.
A research team from the University of Florida think they’ve cracked the problem, and have singled out a translucent worm, C. Elegans, as the most likely culprit. Other evidence supports their suspicions: patients with Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s are low in the ‘good’ bacteria that can counter the bad effects of bacteria such as C.Elegans.
The diseases also have a common factor in the way the body handles proteins—and the worms are packed with protein and can emit a signal that passes on its characteristics to the next generation.
The researchers are assessing the best bacteria that can combat the worm—but antibiotics are certainly not the way forward. Protein build-up is linked to antibiotic-resistant infection and that’s the first step to understanding the link to neuro-degenerative disease.
In the meantime, start populating the gut with good bacteria.
(Source: PLOS Pathogens, 2021; 17: e1009510)
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