Welcome to the WCN 2021 Interactive Program

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    Please note that all sessions will run at their scheduled time and be followed by a LIVE Q&A/Discussion at the end

     The viewing of sessions, cannot be accessed from this conference calendar. All sessions are accessible via the Virtual Platform

Displaying One Session

Scientific Session: T (Topics)
Session Time
11:30 - 13:00
Room
Topic A
Chair(s)
  • Filip Scheperjans (Finland)
Scientific Session: T (Topics)

GUT MICROBIOTA IN PRODROMAL AND ESTABLISHED PARKINSON’S DISEASE AND RELATIONS TO ANTIBIOTIC EXPOSURE

Session Type
Scientific Session: T (Topics)
Date
07.10.2021, Thursday
Session Time
11:30 - 13:00
Room
Topic A
Lecture Time
11:30 - 11:53
Presenter
  • Filip Scheperjans (Finland)

Abstract

Abstract Body

Gastrointestinal dysfunction affects up to 80% of Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients and may precede the onset of motor symptoms by years. Robustly demonstrated intestinal neuropathological, inflammatory, and microbiome changes in PD pose the obvious question whether the microbiota-gut-brain axis contributes to the initiation and/or progression of PD pathology and could thus be an early prodromal biomarker and target for precision medicine therapies. Recent research has not only linked gut microbiota to motor and non-motor symptoms of PD, but also to disease progression. Likely already before the onset of motor symptoms, and possibly precipitated by antibiotic exposure, gut microbiota changes may predispose to a pro-inflammatory gut environment and local pathological protein aggregation that may spread throughout the nervous system. Furthermore, altered metabolic activity of the microbiota may enhance neuroinflammation and induce changes in epigenetic regulation in immune and brain cells potentially contributing to disease initiation and progression. Finally, gut bacteria may impact bioavailability of levodopa and thus impact the drug treatment of PD. Future research will hopefully reveal new microbiota-based biomarkers and therapeutic targets for precision medicine interventions in PD.

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Scientific Session: T (Topics)

MICROBIOME TO ELUCIDATE THE EVOLUTION AND PROGRESSION OF PARKINSON’S DISEASE

Session Type
Scientific Session: T (Topics)
Date
07.10.2021, Thursday
Session Time
11:30 - 13:00
Room
Topic A
Lecture Time
11:53 - 12:16
Presenter
  • Paul Wilmes (Luxembourg)

Abstract

Abstract Body

The human gut microbiome is a complex ecosystem, which contributes essential functions to human physiology. Changes to the microbiome are associated with several chronic diseases characterised by inflammation, including neurodegenerative and autoimmune diseases. Microbiome-derived molecules comprising nucleic acids, (poly)peptides and metabolites are present at high levels in the gut and interface with human physiology including along the gut-brain axis. However, these have so far eluded systematic study. I will discuss how integrated multi-omic analyses combined with human organ-on-chip systems can be leveraged to shine light on this molecular “dark matter” with potential for the development of novel diagnostic and therapeutic applications in neurological disease, in particular Parksinson’s disease.

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Scientific Session: T (Topics)

NUTRITIONAL INTERVENTION STUDIES TO INFLUENCE THE GUT MICROBIOME AND IMPROVE PARKINSON’S DISEASE

Session Type
Scientific Session: T (Topics)
Date
07.10.2021, Thursday
Session Time
11:30 - 13:00
Room
Topic A
Lecture Time
12:16 - 12:39
Presenter
  • Brit Mollenhauer (Germany)

Abstract

Abstract Body

Non-invasive microbiome-derived multi-omic biomarkers for the early-stage detection and stratification of Parkinson’s disease (PD) revealed a bacterial dysbiosis in early and prodromal PD with an increased abundance of e.g. Akkermansia spp, that increase the permeability of the gut by degrading the mucus barrier through regulation of tight junctions. The mucus erosion of the gut epithelial layer leads to increased gut permeability which favors inflammatory responses by pathogenic and/or toxin intrusions. Additionally microbiome-derived metabolites are involved in neuroinflammatory and/or neurotoxic processes in PD, that can foster the spreading of α-synuclein aggregates and neuronal damage. In multiple animal models, restructuring of the gut microbiome by dietary interventions (resistant starch or fasting regimens) restores the intestinal mucus barrier and prolongs survival. In human studies, high fiber diet/resistant starch impacts the human gut microbiome, metaproteome and metabolome, restores the mucus barrier and can thereby improve the glucose and lipid metabolism. In our PD cohort we have observed correlations of inflammation markers, i.e. IL-17A or CCL20 in plasma with operational taxonomic units. We also identified correlations when comparing the microbiome data to clinical parameters, such as UPDRS scores. Under high-fibre diet regimen we identified changes in microbiome within 24 hours by increasing the Shannon diversity, short chain fatty acids and various metabolites. Increasing evidence in humans also suggest, that intermittent fasting regiments may directly influence the gut microbiota and its metabolic function and secondarily impact peripheral and central inflammation. We will present data of our short- and longterm dietary interventional trials in PD.

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Scientific Session: T (Topics)

LIVE Q&A

Session Type
Scientific Session: T (Topics)
Date
07.10.2021, Thursday
Session Time
11:30 - 13:00
Room
Topic A
Lecture Time
12:39 - 13:00