In Kerala, the gut is telling doctors something new about Parkinson's

A team at Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT) and the Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute in Thiruvananthapuram has completed the first study of its kind in an Indian population: comparing the gut bacteria of 65 people living with Parkinson's disease with 65 healthy people — mostly the patients' own spouses, who share their kitchens and tables, which makes the comparison fairer. Published in npj Parkinson's Disease, the Indian Council of Medical Research-funded work found patients carried more inflammation-linked bacteria and fewer of the beneficial bacteria that produce the fatty acids keeping the gut lining healthy. Lead scientist Aneesa P. A. worked under Baby Chakrapani P. S. and Dr Syam Krishnan. The differences tracked how severe the disease was — a hint that a simple stool test might one day help doctors spot or follow Parkinson's without a scan or a needle.

SDG 3 · Good health and well-being — Mechanism: tech innovation