Research has revealed that Parkinson's disease could come from the appendix

According to a new study by American scientists, Parkinson's disease could come from the depths of the digestive system.

The research, published in the journal Science Translational Medicine, revealed that people who had been removed from the appendix were less likely to develop this neurodegenerative disease.

And the appendix, an organ whose usefulness is still in doubt, has also been revealed to be a reservoir of the substance that kills brain cells.

According to the organization of Parkinson UK, research and support nonprofit, this discovery represents the most compelling evidence that the origin of the disease can be located outside the brain.

Link

In Parkinson's disease, toxic proteins accumulate in the brain. and kill nerves, especially those related to movement.

Although this may seem counterintuitive, it is becoming increasingly clear that the digestive system has a link with the disease.

Researchers at Michigan's Van Andel Research Institute in the United States 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.

Protein. toxic

The appendix is ​​a small pocket located at the entrance to the large intestine. It is probably the most known (useless) vestigative organ of the human body

. An badysis of the contents of the appendix shows that it contains the same toxic protein – called alpha synuclein – found in the brain of Parkinson's patients.

The appendix is ​​obviously not the only factor that comes into play in this disease. In this case, removing it would solve the problem.

But researchers say that the digestive system is fertile ground for this protein, which then pbades from the vagus nerve to the brain.

Digestive Problems

Viviane Labrie, one of the researchers involved in the study, pointed out that she did not recommend that this organ be removed.

"We do not promote appendectomy as a means of protection against Parkinson's disease."

"It would be a lot wiser to control or reduce the excessive formation of alpha-synuclein in order to reduce its excess or potentially prevent its escape."

The interest in the role of the digestive system in the development of Parkinson's disease increases.

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 strongest evidence Claire Bale from Parkinson UK

" Understanding where and how Parkinson's disease was born until the time Parkinson's disease can appear on the outside of the brain. It is a revolutionary idea that is beginning to emerge in the scientific world. "It will be absolutely crucial to develop treatments that can potentially stop and potentially prevent it."

L & # 39; study showed that almost all people studied had an alpha-synuclein protein in their appendix.

. They also found some differences in the protein structure. in good health and suffering from Parkinson's disease.

However, research into the origin of Parkinson's disease still fails to understand why. the disease appears in some people and not in others.