People with multiple sclerosis (MS) have high levels of toxic compounds made by gut bacteria in the fluid around their brain and spinal cord, a study found.
“This work not only furthers our understanding of the role of gut-brain communication in neurodegenerative disease progression, but also provides a potential metabolic target” to develop new MS therapies, one of the scientists, Patrizia Casaccia, MD, PhD, of City University of New York (CUNY), said in a press release.
Findings were published in the study, “Bacterial neurotoxic metabolites in multiple sclerosis cerebrospinal fluid and plasma,” in Brain.
The digestive system is home to trillions of bacteria and other tiny organisms, collectively referred to as the gut microbiome. These organisms play important roles in health and disease that are only beginning to be understood.
An emerging body of research has indicated that the gut microbiome is altered in MS patients and may contribute to neurogeneration, but the exact components responsible for this gut-brain communication remain unidentified.
“To read this article in its entirety click the link: High Levels of Gut Bacterial Toxins Found in Spinal Fluid of MS Patients.“