Gut mucus has an intrinsic relation with neurological diseases caused by bacterial imbalance, finds study

FP TrendingJun 11, 2020 14:25:42 IST

Mucus layering in our gut forms a security layer against harmful microbes. But now scientists have found a relation between changes in the gut mucus and brain diseases caused by a bacterial imbalance. This imbalance of the bacterial presence in our body can cause some serious ailments like Alzheimer's disease, autism, Parkinson’s disease, and multiple sclerosis.

As the exact cause behind these diseases remained unknown, a research review of 113 neurological, gut and microbiology studies was conducted by a team of researchers from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) University to reveal one common point between all the ailments – changes in the gut mucus.

The Gastrointestinal System of a human body. Image credit: Wikipedia

Hence people with Alzheimer’s disease or multiple sclerosis have “different amounts of good and bad bacteria” in their gut. And scientists are trying to study why. Senior author and Associate Professor, RMIT Elisa Hill-Yardin said, “Researchers have previously shown that changes to intestinal mucus affect the balance of bacteria in the gut but until now, no-one has made the connection between gut mucus and the brain”.

“Our review reveals that people with autism, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's and Multiple Sclerosis have different types of bacteria in their gut mucus compared with healthy people, and different amounts of good and bad bacteria,” the professor added.

This review has opened up a new avenue of studying brain disorders. Now researchers can focus on the gut and find out the exact reason, and thus the treatment, of some of the most serious of brain diseases. Hill-Yardin said, “It's a new gut-brain connection that opens up fresh avenues for scientists to explore, as we search for ways to better treat disorders of the brain by targeting our 'second brain' - the gut.”

“If we can understand the role that gut mucus plays in brain disease, we can try to develop treatments that harness this precise part of the gut-brain axis,” she said.

Hill-Yardin led the review with collaborators from the University of Melbourne and La Trobe University.