Fecal Transplants Improve Parkinson's Symptoms in 2 Trials as Gut-Bacteria Link Deepens
Updated
Updated · ScienceAlert · Aug 18
Fecal Transplants Improve Parkinson's Symptoms in 2 Trials as Gut-Bacteria Link Deepens
3 articles · Updated · ScienceAlert · Aug 18
Summary
Two randomized, placebo-controlled trials in Belgium and China found donor fecal transplants improved Parkinson's motor symptoms and constipation, adding clinical evidence that changing gut bacteria can ease disease symptoms.
72 newly diagnosed patients in the Chinese study saw motor scores improve by 3.8 points after 35 weeks, while controls worsened by 0.1; nearly half of treated patients achieved clinically meaningful motor gains.
46 patients in Belgium showed a 5.8-point motor-score improvement after 12 months versus 2.7 points in the placebo group, with the largest gains appearing between six and 12 months.
Gut changes tracked the clinical gains: harmful bacteria including E. coli and Shigella fell, the intestinal lining strengthened, stool dopamine rose, and gut alpha-synuclein levels declined in treated patients.
A 2024 study comparing 94 Parkinson's patients with 73 controls had already linked the disease to disrupted riboflavin and biotin pathways, supporting a broader theory that gut dysfunction may help drive Parkinson's years before diagnosis.