THE ROLE OF GUT MICROBIOTA IN THE PATHOGENESIS OF PARKINSON’S DISEASE: IMPLICATIONS FOR EARLY DIAGNOSIS AND TARGETED THERAPEUTIC INTERVENTIONS

Abstract

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by motor and non-motor symptoms. Considerable evidence now implicates the gut microbiota (GM) as being very important in its causation. The gut-brain axis-the bidirectional communication between the gut and the central nervous system-is said to be involved in the neuroinflammation, α-synuclein aggregation, and intestinal permeability that facilitate PD onset and progression. Studies establish that gut dysbiosis-the change in the composition of the gut microbiota that is likely to be less favorable to the health of the person-due to a decrease in the number of beneficial SCFA-producing bacteria, with compensatory increase in those whose action is more pro-inflammatory-is related to the severity of PD. Changes in the composition of gut microbiota may also qualify as important biomarkers in early diagnosis of PD, while other interventions aimed at enhancing the composition of the microbiota through probiotics, prebiotics, dietary changes, and fecal microbiota transplantation are promising in their utility in modulating the course of the disease. Our understanding of the complex interplay of the gut microbiota and PD pathophysiology may enable us to develop new diagnostic products and microbiota-targeted therapeutic strategies.