WCN 2021 | Understanding Parkinson’s disease-associated alterations of the gut microbiome

Microbiome changes are associated with numerous chronic diseases characterized by inflammation, including neurodegenerative diseases. Paul Wilmes, PhD, Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine, University of Luxembourg, Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg, discusses the latest understanding of the gut microbiome and Parkinson’s disease. Evidence from different studies indicates that there are taxonomic differences in the gut microbiome between patients with Parkinson’s disease and healthy controls. Some of those differences can be observed at the prodromal stages of the disease. Prof. Wilmes explains that currently, the critical questions are how the taxonomic differences translate into differences in function and how those functional differences trigger pathogenesis. This interview took place during the XXV World Congress of Neurology.