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Månedlige Neuro-SysMed-seminarer

Neuro-SysMed seminar – Parkinson

Velkommen til Neuro-SysMeds månedlige seminarer! Bli med i auditoriet i Bikuben kl. 11:30–13:00 (lunsj fra 11:30–12:00). Foreleser er Paula Perez Pardo, Universitetet i Utrecht, Nederland. Tittel er "Gut microbes in Parkinson’s disease: opportunities for microbialbased therapies".

brain illustration
Foto/ill.:
Neuro-SysMed / C. Tzoulis

Hovedinnhold

Speaker: Paula Perez Pardo, Assistant Professor, Department of Pharmacology, Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences, Utrecht University, the Netherlands

Title: "Gut microbes in Parkinson’s disease: opportunities for microbialbased therapies"

Abstract: In terms of prevalence, Parkinson disease (PD) is one of the fastest growing neurological disorders worldwide. However, what causes the main hallmarks of PD is not well understood. Converging evidence suggests that inflammation-derived oxidative stress and cytokine toxicity may play a critical role. The intestinal tract could be a contributing factor to the neurodegenerative processes in PD. Intestinal dysfunction, including constipation are common in PD and can begin decades before the onset of motor symptoms. In this regard, several studies suggest that the intestinal tract, especially the colon and its microbiota community, could be a major source of inflammation contributing to neurodegeneration.

There are several mechanisms by which the gut microbiota composition might impact PD pathology. Imbalances in the gut microbiota composition may overstimulate the innate immune system of the intestinal mucosa, possibly through Toll-like receptor 4 activation, increasing the levels of oxidative stress. Immune activation and oxidative stress in the gut might lead to misfolding and accumulation of alpha-synuclein in the enteric nervous system that can then spread in a prion-like fashion via the vagus nerve to the lower brainstem, and the substantia nigra. Alternatively, gut-derived bacterial products or the peripheral inflammatory response (e.g. cytokine production) could impact the brain through systemic mechanisms including disruption of the blood-brain barrier as is observed in patients with PD.

Our research group focuses on better understanding the above mentioned mechanisms using pre-clinical models. In addition, we also investigate the possible use of microbial based therapies such as pro-, pre-, and synbiotics as well as FMT to be able to relieve some of the gastrointestinal symptoms associated with PD as well as some of the systemic inflammatory markers. By doing that we might also influence PD pathological progression. 

Host: Kristoffer Haugarvoll

Place: The auditorium in Bikuben, Jonas Lies vei 69 (campus Haukeland University Hospital)

Time: Tuesday October 11 at 11:30 - 13:00 (lunch from 11:30 - 12:00).

Registration link: on this link