A new study maps the cell-to-cell connection between the gut and nervous system.
According to a new study, tapeworms can protect infant rats from neuroinflammation.
A new study reveals how prions are able to spread from the gut and into the brain after a person eats contaminated meat.
Researchers have identified a link between traumatic brain injury and intestinal changes. A new study reports the intestinal changes may contribute to increased risk of developing infections and could worsen brain damage in TBI patients.
The insulin-like growth factor II gene plays a critical role in adult stem cell maintenance of both the intestine and the brain. Findings suggest IGF-2 is essential for multiple stem cell types, including those implicated in cognitive function and renewing the lining of the small intestine.
Two months after injecting alpha-synuclein into the intestines of rats, researchers discovered the proteins had traveled to the brain via peripheral nerves. Four months later, the pathology was greater. Additionally, the protein had traveled to the heart. The study supports the hypothesis that Parkinson's disease may begin in the intestinal system before migrating to the brain.
Increased levels of Smad7 in T-cells is linked to multiple sclerosis-like symptoms in mice. In the intestines, the T-cells were more frequently activated and migrated to the central nervous system, where they triggered inflammation. Similar activation was seen in human patients with multiple sclerosis. The findings provide further evidence that multiple sclerosis may start in the intestines and spread via the CNS.
Infections in the intestine may contribute to irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) by damaging the gut's nervous system. Researchers explore why neurons in the gut die as a result of infection and how the immune system normally protects them. The findings could provide new avenues of treatment for IBS.
Researchers have identified specific cell types that appear to be the main targets of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Using existing data on the RNA found in different types of cells, researchers were able to identify cells that expressed ACE2 and TMPRSS2, two proteins that assist coronavirus to enter human cells. Cells in the lungs, nasal passage and intestines appear to be the main targets for SARS-CoV-2.
Chronic gut inflammation can trigger the clumping of alpha-synuclein in the walls of the colon, a new study reports. Researchers found chronic inflammation in the gut during early life can exacerbate the clumping of alpha-synuclein in the brains of older mice. The findings add to a growing body of evidence which links gut health to Parkinson's disease.
