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According to a new study by American scientists, Parkinson's disease could come from the depths of the digestive system.
The study published in the journal Science Translational Medicine revealed that those who had been excised from the appendix were less likely to develop this neurodegenerative disease.
The appendix, an organ whose utility is still in doubt, has also proven to be a reservoir of the substance that kills brain cells.
According to the non-profit research and support organization Parkinson UK, this finding represents the most solid evidence evidence that the origin of the disease can be located outside the brain.
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In Parkinson's disease, toxic proteins accumulate in the brain and destroy nerves, particularly those related to movement.
Although it may seem counterintuitive, it is becoming increasingly clear that the digestive system is linked to the disease.
Researchers at the Van Andel Research Institute, Michigan, USA, badyzed information from 1.7 million people over half a century.
The badysis revealed that the risk of developing Parkinson's disease was 20% lower in people whose appendix had been removed.
Toxic Protein
The appendix is a small pocket located at the entrance of the large intestine. It is probably the most well-known vestigial organ (which has no use) of the human body.
An badysis of the content of the appendix shows that it contains the same toxic protein – called alpha synuclein – which is found in the brains of patients with Parkinson's disease .
The appendix This is obviously not the only factor that comes into play in this disease. In this case, its removal would solve the problem.
But researchers say the digestive system is a fertile soil for this protein, which then crosses the vagus nerve to get to the brain.
Digestive Problems
Viviane Labrie, one of the researchers who participated in the study, pointed out that she did not recommend to people to have this organ removed.
"We do not advocate appendectomy as a means of protection against Parkinson's disease."
"It would be much more judicious to control or reduce excessive formation of alpha-synuclein in order to reduce its overabundance or possibly prevent it from occurring again. escape." Digestive in the development of Parkinson's disease is growing.
Patients usually report digestive problems. The vagus nerve cutoff is linked to less severe Parkinson's disease, and animal studies indicate that bacteria that live in the digestive system are essential.
Differences
"This research is really important because it gives us one of the most convincing proofs so far that Parkinson's disease can develop outside the brain. which is beginning to emerge in the scientific world, "said Claire Bale of Parkinson UK.
"Understanding where and how Parkinson's disease was born will be absolutely crucial for the development of treatments that can stop and eventually prevent it."
The study showed that almost all the people studied had an alpha-synuclein protein in their appendix.
And they discovered differences in protein structure between healthy people and those with Parkinson's disease.
However, research into the origin of Parkinson's disease still does not know why the disease appears in some people and others not.
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