Journal of Advanced Research

Researchers in Taiwan have shown that a single oral dose of a common gut bacterium, given before any movement problems appeared, protected mice carrying a Parkinson's-linked gene mutation from losing the brain cells that control movement. The bacterium worked by calming inflammation in the intestine, which in turn kept the brain's own immune cells quiet.

Researchers at National Taiwan University refined a pseudo-germ-free mouse model to make gut microbiome studies safer for mice and more reliable. Using this model, they found that antibiotic-driven changes in gut microbes suppressed pancreatic tumor growth and enhanced the effect of gemcitabine chemotherapy.