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ISSN 2063-5346
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EXPLORING THE ROLE OF GUT MICROBIOTA IN NEURODEGENERATIVE DISEASES: INSIGHTS AND THERAPEUTIC IMPLICATIONS

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Rayan Abdullah Aljohani, Abdulrahman Meshal Alnsari, Omar Ibrahim Alawaji, Hamad Mesfer Alqurashi, Saif Mohsen Almalki, Abdullah Damis Almalki, Mohammed Rajeh Hussain Alzahrani, Safar Muslih Safar Alsaily, Abdulsalam Saeed Alghamdi, Afnan Dhaher Hameed Aljohani, Salma Abdullah B Alshahrani
» doi: 10.53555/ecb/2022.11.7.90

Abstract

This study is focused on the influence that the microbiota of the gut has on the neurodegenerative disorders Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. The main goal of the study is to understand how different microbial populations are linked to the development and progression of the diseases. The study was based on a cross-sectional observational research design, where 100 participants, consisting of patients with neurodegenerative disorders and age-matched healthy controls, were involved. Stool specimens were obtained for gut microbiota analysis by 16S rRNA sequencing. Clinical data including demographic information and disease severity scores were collected by standardized assessment. It was found that the distribution of age and gender of patients and controls did not differ in any statistically significant way. But Alzheimer's disease patients had a lower Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score compared to healthy subjects; on the other hand, PD patients had a higher Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) score than the controls. Bacteroidetes group bacteria decreased, while Proteobacteria increased suggesting that there was a dysbiosis pattern in the patients according to the gut microbiota analysis. Additionally, the association of gut microbiota composition with disease severity were detected, as high Proteobacteria abundance was linked to lower MMSE scores in Alzheimer’s cases and higher UPDRS scores in Parkinson’s cases. These findings indicate the possibility of the microbial modulation showing the therapeutic role in neurodegenerative diseases. This area remains to be explored further to unveil the mechanisms of action and develop microbial-based therapies.

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