A study published this week in Nature sheds new light on the
connection between the gut and the brain, untangling the complex interplay that
allows the byproducts of microorganisms living in the gut to influence the
progression of neurodegenerative diseases. Investigators from Brigham and
Women's Hospital (BWH) have been using both animal models and human cells from
patients to tease out the key players involved in the gut-brain connection as
well as in the crosstalk between immune cells and brain cells. Their new
publication defines a pathway that may help guide therapies for multiple
sclerosis and other neurologic diseases.
The new research focuses on the influence of gut microbes on two
types of cells that play a major role in the central nervous system: microglia
and astrocytes. Microglia are an integral part of the body's immune system,
responsible for scavenging the CNS and getting rid of plaques, damaged cells
and other materials that need to be cleared. But microglia can also secrete
compounds that induce neurotoxic properties on the star-shaped brain cells
known as astrocytes. This damage is thought to contribute to many neurologic diseases,
including multiple sclerosis.
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Posted by Dr. Tim Sandle