Without an appendix no Parkinson? Worm appendage identified as trigger

The appendix serves as a collection point for pathogenic proteins?

The exact cause of Parkinson's disease is still unclear. For a long time, the place of origin in the digestive system is suspected. American scientists have now discovered in the largest study of this type that forms in the cecum, a reservoir of proteins that are associated with the development of Parkinson's disease. The researchers were able to prove that removal of the appendix reduces the risk of Parkinson's disease.

A research team from the American Van Andel Institute in Michigan identified the cecum as a source of pathogenic proteins that favor Parkinson's disease. Early removal of the cecum reduces the likelihood of developing the disease by up to 25 percent. This emerges from the largest and most comprehensive study of its kind, recently published in the journal Science Translational Medicine.

The cecum is involved in the development of Parkinson's disease, according to a recent study. It will serve as a reservoir for proteins that are strongly associated with the development and progression of the disease. (Image: decade3d / fotolia.com)

Parkinson's starts from the digestive system

With the result, the researchers also solidified the thesis that Parkinson's originates in the digestive tract. As the team demonstrated, the cecum is the major reservoir of abnormally-fallen alpha-synuclein proteins that are closely related to the onset and progression of Parkinson's disease. "Our findings point to Apendix as the site of origin for Parkinson's disease and provide a pathway for the development of new treatment strategies," said lead author Viviane Labrie in a press release.

Is our appendix useless and promotes disease?

"Despite its reputation for being largely redundant, the cecum actually plays an important role in our immune system," explains Labrie. He is important in the regulation and composition of our intestinal flora. However, the vermiform appendage is also a potential trigger of Parkinson's, as the recent study shows.

Cecum involved only as a trigger

As the research team reports, patients showed a clear risk reduction for the development of Parkinson's disease when the cecum was removed a few years earlier. The removal after the onset of the disease, however, had no influence on the progression. The team concludes that the appendix is ​​involved in the development process.

Triggers still not unique

However, according to the researchers, the proteins can not be the sole trigger. The team also found the toxic alpha-synuclein proteins in the cecum of healthy individuals of all ages. "We were surprised that pathogenic forms of alpha-synuclein are so prevalent in the appendages of people with and without Parkinson's," Dr. Bryan Killinger. Although these proteins are toxic in the brain, they appear to be normal in the cecum. This suggests that their presence alone can not be the cause of the disease.

In search of further connections

"So there must be another mechanism or context of how the cecum affects the onset of the disease," says Labrie. The team wants to check this in another study. Other studies have already identified a link between Parkinson's and the immune system. An aggressive immune system is also suspected as a possible cause of Parkinson's.

Parkinson's - so far incurable

Parkinson's disease is so far incurable. However, early diagnosis and early treatment can delay the progression. It is all the more important to know the early warning signs of the disease. These are early symptoms of Parkinson's disease:

• Shaking hands,
• Affected sit very much,
• Problems getting up,
• Odor perception is reduced,
• Sleep disorders with intense dreams,
• Discomfort when urinating,
• constipation,
• depression,
• quiet speech,
• Trouble swallowing,
• cramped handwriting,
• Concerned isolate themselves increasingly,
• Movements seem slower and awkward,
• often tense neck,
• chronic fatigue,
• inner unrest. (Vb)