FROM GUT TO BRAIN: TARGETING THE MICROBIOTA AXIS FOR NOVEL THERAPEUTIC AVENUES IN PARKINSON’S DISEASE

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a prevalent neurodegenerative disorder, with increasing evidence highlighting a strong link between its pathogenesis and intestinal microbiome dysbiosis. This review systematically elucidates the mechanistic pathways of the microbiota–gut–brain axis in PD, emphasizing how gut dysbiosis promotes α-synuclein misfolding and propagation via the vagus nerve, thereby initiating neuroinflammation and dopaminergic neuronal loss. It further examines the critical role of the microbiota–immune–neural signaling network in driving disease progression. In addition, the therapeutic potential and current limitations of microbiota-targeted interventions, including fecal microbiota transplantation, prebiotics, probiotics, and dietary modulation, are evaluated. Collectively, current evidence highlights the gut–brain axis as a key framework in understanding PD etiology and underscores the intestine as a promising site for early intervention and the development of mechanism-based therapies.