Public Health & Health Science Division, ULAB

This paper analyzes various biochemical differences observed between patients afflicted with Parkinson’s Disease and those without the diagnosis. Such disparities explored in this work include the accumulation of alpha-synuclein in the form of Lewy Bodies along with significant changes in the bacterial populations of Akkermansia, Streptococcaceae, Prevotella, and Lactococcus. Specifically, these distinct markers are examined in the context of the enteric system as a means of synthesizing connections between nuanced changes within the gut and the progression of PD. Essentially, this study supports an alternative attempt of better understanding the disease beyond a sole, isolated focus on the brain and central nervous system. Further confounding variables that have been linked to PD are also examined in a similar context; for instance for the variable age, it was indeed found that one of the potential reasons why age is a risk factor for PD can be tied back to the gut through an analysis into calprotectin. Ultimately, from a broad standpoint, the significance of this paper lies in the connections and pathways tying the aforementioned markers associated with PD to the gut, which are laid out in extensive detail. In turn, based on the findings of this paper, there is potential for driving future research relating to the origin and treatment of the disease, through possibly looking at systematic changes occurring within microbiomes as a promising starting point in addition to the extensive research on the brain already being carried out.