The gut-brain axis: is intestinal inflammation a silent driver of Parkinson’s disease pathogenesis?

The state of the intestinal environment can have profound effects on the activity of the central nervous system through the physiological contributions of the microbiota, regulation of intestinal barrier function, and altered activity of peripheral neurons. The common language employed for much of the gut-brain communication is the modulation of immune activity. Chronic proinflammatory immune activity is increasingly being recognized as a fundamental element of neurodegenerative disorders, and in Parkinson's disease, inflammation in the intestine appears particularly relevant in pathogenesis. We review the evidence that intestinal dysfunction is present in Parkinson's disease and that it may reflect the…

• NS
  National Science Foundation

  Awards: DGE-1444932, 1444932
• MJ
  Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research
• PD
  Parkinson's Disease Foundation
• NI
  National Institutes of Health
• NI
  National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke

  Award: 5R01NS092122