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Gastrointestinal involvement in Parkinson’s disease: pathophysiology, diagnosis, and management

Growing evidence suggests an increasing significance for the extent of gastrointestinal tract (GIT) dysfunction in Parkinson’s disease (PD). Most patients suffer from GIT symptoms, including dysphagia, sialorrhea, bloating, nausea, vomiting, gastroparesis, and constipation during the disease course. The underlying pathomechanisms of this α-synucleinopathy play an important role in disease development and progression, i.e., early accumulation […]

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Alpha-Synuclein-Specific Naturally Occurring Antibodies
Inhibit Aggregation In Vitro and In Vivo

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is associated with motor and non-motor symptoms and characterized by aggregates of alpha-synuclein (αSyn). Naturally occurring antibodies (nAbs) are part of theinnate immune system, produced without prior contact to their specific antigen, and polyreactive.The abundance of nAbs against αSyn is altered in patients with PD. In this work, we biophysicallycharacterized nAbs against

Alpha-Synuclein-Specific Naturally Occurring Antibodies
Inhibit Aggregation In Vitro and In Vivo
Read More »

Adult Neurogenesis under Control of the Circadian System

The mammalian circadian system is a hierarchically organized system, which controls a24-h periodicity in a wide variety of body and brain functions and physiological processes. Thereis increasing evidence that the circadian system modulates the complex multistep process of adultneurogenesis, which is crucial for brain plasticity. This modulatory effect may be exercised viarhythmic systemic factors including

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Parkinson’s Disease and the Metal–Microbiome–Gut–Brain Axis: A Systems Toxicology Approach

Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disease, leading to motor and nonmotor complications. Autonomic alterations, including gastrointestinal symptoms, precede motordefects and act as early warning signs. Chronic exposure to dietary, environmental heavy metalsimpacts the gastrointestinal system and host-associated microbiome, eventually affecting the centralnervous system. The correlation between dysbiosis and PD suggests a functional and bidirectionalcommunication

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Diagnostic value of cerebrospinal fluid alpha-synuclein seed quantification in synucleinopathies

Several studies have confirmed α-synuclein real-time quaking-induced conversion (αSyn-RTQuIC) assay to have high sensitivity and specificity for Parkinson’s disease. However, whetherthe assay can be used as a robust, quantitative measure to monitor disease progression, stratifydifferent synucleinopathies and predict disease conversion in patients with idiopathic REMsleep behaviour disorder remains undetermined. The aim of this study was

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Microbiota-derived acetate enables the metabolic fitness of the brain innate immune system during health and disease

As tissue macrophages of the central nervous system (CNS), microglia constitute the pivotal immune cells of this organ. Microglial features are strongly dependent on environmental cues such as commensal microbiota. Gut bacteria are known to continuously modulate microglia maturation and function by the production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). However, the precise mechanism of this crosstalk is unknown. Here we determined that

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Association between CSF alpha-synuclein seeding activity and genetic status in Parkinson’s disease and dementia with Lewy bodies

The clinicopathological heterogeneity in Lewy-body diseases (LBD) highlights the need for pathology-driven biomarkers in-vivo. Misfolded alpha-synuclein (α-Syn) is a lead candidate based on its crucial role in disease pathophysiology. Real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC) analysis of CSF has recently shown high sensitivity and specificity for the detection of misfolded α-Syn in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD) and

Association between CSF alpha-synuclein seeding activity and genetic status in Parkinson’s disease and dementia with Lewy bodies Read More »

Microbiota in Health and Disease—Potential Clinical Applications

: Within the last two decades tremendous efforts in biomedicine have been undertaken tounderstand the interplay of commensal bacteria living in and on our human body with our ownhuman physiology. It became clear that (1) a high diversity especially of the microbial communitiesin the gut are important to preserve health and that (2) certain bacteria

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Caries and periodontal disease in patients with Parkinson’s disease

Parkinson’s disease (PD) has been associated with aging, reduced fine motor skills, and malnutrition caused by eating soft sticky foods and a decreased liquid intake, which may contribute to the onset of caries, periodontal disease, and tooth loss. The objective of this study was to investigate the oral health of 101 patients with PD (mean

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Highly efficient intercellular spreading of protein misfolding mediated by viral ligand-receptor interactions

Thoughts – Just maybe we are finding the mechanics behind the 2+ theory of PD which states that 2 or more variables must come about in order PD to progress into diagnosisable PD. Protein aggregates associated with neurodegenerative diseases have the ability to transmit to unaffected cells, thereby templating their own aberrant conformation onto soluble

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