MIT Scientists Building Artificial Gut to Study Bacteria’s Influence on Parkinson’s, Other Diseases – Parkinson’s News Today

MIT Lincoln Laboratory researchers are developing an artificial gut to study how the human microbiome the trillions of microorganisms and their genetic material that live within our body, and are as unique to a person as fingerprints influences the onset and progression of diseases linked to changes in gut bacterial constitution, such as Parkinsons disease.

The so-called gut-brain axis is a highly complex and interactive network between the gut and the brain, composed of endocrine (hormonal), immunological, and neural mediators. Dysregulation of cross-talk within this axis has been associated with metabolic syndrome, depression, anxiety and autism, as well as toneurodegenerative diseases like Parkinsons, and Alzheimers.

By manipulating the gut microbiome in Parkinsons patients, researchers could study its effects on neurodegenerative processes.

Until now, no one has been able to culture a microbiome sample and maintain it, David Walsh, a PhD with the Biological and Chemical Technologies Group at MIT who led the prototype devices development and fabrication, said in a universitynews storyby Anne McGovern. Further refinements are still being made.

The question from the mechanical side is, how do you emulate the colon? said Todd Thorsen, PhD, the projects principal investigator and an assistant professor with the MIT group.

Bacteria in the colon occupy lots of ecological niches, Thorsen added. This means that all bacteria living in the colon have organism-specific demands for survival, including nutritional and environmental requirements. For instance, some are oxygen-dependent and others not.

To mimic the intestinal microenvironment, Lincoln Laboratoryinvestigators are developing an easily accessible and cost-effective platform made of permeable silicon rubber and other plastics, like polystyrene. Importantly, in this artificial gut, scientists can regulate oxygen and mucus concentrations within microculture chambers, modeling the human colon. Because it can be easily replicated, it might also be of use to others studying the gut microbiome, and the impact of disease or treatment on it.

If we can maintain a culture, we can do things like add toxins and therapeutics to see how they change the culture over time, Walsh said. Such an ability could move research a step closer to tackling real-world problems, including bacterial resistance.

Using gut microbiome samples from Parkinsons patients and healthy people, the scientists plan to use their device to study intestinal bacterias influence on theneurodegenerative processes seen in Parkinsons.

Experiments are expected to begin soon, in collaboration with researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Northeastern University, and the University of California at San Francisco.

The team also plans to build a tube-shaped origami-like gut that rolls up during assembly to simulate the colon and the surrounding vascularized tissue, and to develop modeling software to predict how different bacterial communities change over time.

With over three years of experience in the medical communications business, Catarina holds a BSc. in Biomedical Sciences and a MSc. in Neurosciences. Apart from writing, she has been involved in patient-oriented translational and clinical research.

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Ana holds a PhD in Immunology from the University of Lisbon and worked as a postdoctoral researcher at Instituto de Medicina Molecular (iMM) in Lisbon, Portugal. She graduated with a BSc in Genetics from the University of Newcastle and received a Masters in Biomolecular Archaeology from the University of Manchester, England. After leaving the lab to pursue a career in Science Communication, she served as the Director of Science Communication at iMM.

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MIT Scientists Building Artificial Gut to Study Bacteria's Influence on Parkinson's, Other Diseases - Parkinson's News Today