Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Parkinson’s disease ‘may start in gut’

bbc.co.uk

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

21–30 of 139 posts

Re: Parkinson’s disease ‘may start in gut’

#21

Post by mabbo »

peteretep wrote: post #11
simonh wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My father suffered from the disease and passed away in October. Awful disease. This is great news, but it looks like any treatment based on this will still be quite some way off.

> but it looks like any treatment > based on this will still be > quite some way off I came away with the opposite impression. Wouldn't you just need a targetted antibiotic?

Problem 1- targeting what? I don't think they've actually identified the specific bacteria, have they?

Problem 2- can you actually make an antibiotic specifically target one bacteria only?

Re: Parkinson’s disease ‘may start in gut’

#22

Post by [deleted] »

peteretep wrote: post #11
simonh wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My father suffered from the disease and passed away in October. Awful disease. This is great news, but it looks like any treatment based on this will still be quite some way off.

> but it looks like any treatment > based on this will still be > quite some way off I came away with the opposite impression. Wouldn't you just need a targetted antibiotic?

[deleted]

Re: Parkinson’s disease ‘may start in gut’

#23

Post by k__ »

simonh wrote: post #6
ianai wrote: post #2

I watched my great grandfather lose everything to Parkinson's. I really hope this leads to a treatment that stops the progression of symptoms and fast.

My father suffered from the disease and passed away in October. Awful disease. This is great news, but it looks like any treatment based on this will still be quite some way off.

My grandfather died of it too, 10 years ago.

When I was young this disease shaped my perception of old age.

Got my self tested (23andme) 5 years ago and luckily I don't seem to have any predispositions for it.

Re: Parkinson’s disease ‘may start in gut’

#24

Post by andy_ppp »

Terr_ wrote: post #10
andy_ppp wrote: post #8

What do we know so far? - Gut Bacteria are involved - Inflammation is involved - The brain works on glucose - The brain can also work on Ketones - Cinnamon seems to help in mice trials (and also has anti-inflammatory properties). - Could diabetes be analogous to Parkinson's? Diabetics generally have lost the ability to process carbs (usually by eating too many); could Parkinsons be caused by people being very dopamin…

I feel like your post is a is a rhetorical bait-and-switch: Only the first two points seem to be related to the article, the rest are from elsewhere and chosen ahead of time to guide the user towards a particular conclusion.

Maybe you are right, I was just thinking out loud about these things.

Here is a very small scale study done in regard to this...

https://www.charliefoundation.org/ketogenic-therapy/therapie...

Re: Parkinson’s disease ‘may start in gut’

#25

Post by andy_ppp »

pbhjpbhj wrote: post #19
bArray wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Exactly my line of thinking. Sounds like a study should be done on the diets of those with Parkinson's compared to the "average" diet. There's a chance for too much or too little of something that could make a difference. I would also like to see a comprehensive study of the immune systems of those with and without, perhaps these people have little protection against these gut bacteria. The most interesting cases wou…

I can't imagine that diet and immune system studies haven't been done on Parkinson's sufferers?

I've found it very difficult to find papers or research on this...

Re: Parkinson’s disease ‘may start in gut’

#26

Post by iaskwhy »

FroshKiller wrote: post #16
agumonkey wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As in Alzheimer's dementia ? ..

Yes, that's right.

Adding to this, dementia might be a "side" effect of the medication for the muscles' rigidity. It's hard to explain but eventually there comes a time when you need to opt between not being able to move or take the medication and start having more and more frequent surreal visions.

My grandfather survived a few cancer appearances but during the last surgery to remove some cancer lumps he woke up as a completely new person. It seems the anesthesia triggered the first signs of Parkinson's and dementia exactly at the same time. He was pretty "normal" before the surgery but after it he couldn't walk and thought the hospital staff attacked him with dogs during the night. Fortunately (?) he didn't last long after that day but still had time to be kicked off from his home by my grandmother who couldn't handle the dementia.

Sorry for the rant, I'm obviously not over it, will never be. Dementia is the worst thing I've ever witnessed.

Re: Parkinson’s disease ‘may start in gut’

#27

Post by XorNot »

mabbo wrote: post #21
peteretep wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> but it looks like any treatment > based on this will still be > quite some way off I came away with the opposite impression. Wouldn't you just need a targetted antibiotic?

Problem 1- targeting what? I don't think they've actually identified the specific bacteria, have they? Problem 2- can you actually make an antibiotic specifically target one bacteria only?

Yes, in the form of a bacteriophage. They're well known, but limited normally because they are very species specific. But if you needed to kill exactly one type of bacteria, they'd be the tool to reach for.

Re: Parkinson’s disease ‘may start in gut’

#28

Post by beef234 »

peteretep wrote: post #11
simonh wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My father suffered from the disease and passed away in October. Awful disease. This is great news, but it looks like any treatment based on this will still be quite some way off.

> but it looks like any treatment > based on this will still be > quite some way off I came away with the opposite impression. Wouldn't you just need a targetted antibiotic?

Fecal implant would be an obvious solution.

Re: Parkinson’s disease ‘may start in gut’

#29

Post by fibbra »

There is need for research into what is happening in the gut, what the microbiome looks like and how it is influenced by food and stress.

This research money can either come by government funding (ideal for basic research) or by private funding (focused, to produce top medicines).

As it looks now, the private funding may not work because any remedy in the form of a medicine, would be applied a couple of times and that's it. There may not be enough money to make.

Re: Parkinson’s disease ‘may start in gut’

#30

Post by digi_owl »

XorNot wrote: post #27
mabbo wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Problem 1- targeting what? I don't think they've actually identified the specific bacteria, have they? Problem 2- can you actually make an antibiotic specifically target one bacteria only?

Yes, in the form of a bacteriophage. They're well known, but limited normally because they are very species specific. But if you needed to kill exactly one type of bacteria, they'd be the tool to reach for.

Best i can tell, the problem is not just that they are picky eaters but that they also keep mutating. thus you can't just mix a batch and shelve it for later usage.
Post reply on HN