EAN 2021 | Microbiota-targeting agents for Parkinson’s disease

Filip Scheperjans, MD, PhD, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Helsinki, Finland, shares the latest research looking into interventions that target the microbiota in Parkinson’s disease. Important links are emerging between the gut microbiota and Parkinson’s symptomatology and pathophysiology, and thus, several microbiome targeting treatments are under development. A major area of investigation is the use of donor fecal microbiome transplantation (FMT). Small-scale single arm trials have provided important safety and efficacy data but high-quality data from randomized controlled trials are needed to support these early findings. Three trials of FMT in patients with Parkinson’s are currently ongoing. This interview took place during the European Academy of Neurology 2021 congress.