Microbiome

The UBC Faculty of Medicine and the Pacific Parkinson’s Research Centre (PPRC) are at the forefront of one of the hottest topics in health research today – understanding the role of microbiota, especially the gut flora, in the evolution of Parkinson’s disease. 

With support from the PPRI, Principal Investigator Dr. Silke Appel-Cresswell, Associate Professor of Neurology and the Marg Meikle Professor in Parkinson’s Research, began to explore the microbiome through a pilot study of 125 patients during Phase 1.  

Thanks to significant progress, high interest from patients, and additional funding, Phase 2 expanded on the initial study, and biological samples from the baseline visit of 152 participants were sent for bacterial and fungal microbiome sequencing. While analysis of the large amount of data is ongoing, preliminary analysis is already revealing interesting results, including entire families of bacteria that are different between Parkinson’s patients and controls. 

With additional support from Mr. Kurt Gagel, Phase 3 began in January 2018, and despite considerable challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, the program has continued to blossom and create new opportunities for collaboration around the world. This phase encompasses a longitudinal study in Parkinson’s, REM sleep behaviour disorder and a randomized, double-blind controlled trial of the effect of probiotics in Parkinson’s-related depression.

International Recognition 

The research conducted for this project was so profound that PhD student in Microbiology & Immunology, Mihai Cirstea, and Dr. Appel-Cresswell have been invited to numerous conferences around the world to share their findings. This exemplifies how the research done at the PPRC impacts beyond the lab, and extends internationally.  

This research is strengthening our understanding of how the gut interacts with the brain across the stages of Parkinson’s to inform the development of much-needed therapies for this life-altering disease. To support the PPRI in investing in the next ground-breaking study, please donate now.

To learn more about Microbiome, you can read the full 2022 Impact Report for Microbiome here (PDF).