Gut-brain connections in Parkinson’s disease and how they relate to disease severity and progression
Official title: The Bidirectional Gut-Microbiota-Brain Axis in Parkinson’s disease: integrating mechanistic biomarkers of disease severity and progression
Funded at Rush University Medical Center · NIH-11372156 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A study at Rush University Medical Center will look at how gut health and brain disease interact in people with Parkinson’s to better understand how the illness grows and gets worse.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Rush University Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chicago, United States) |
| Project start | August 15, 2024 |
| Project end | June 30, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $700,162 |
| NIH project number | 5U01DK140923-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11372156 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease who can participate in longitudinal follow-up and provide samples.
✕Less likely to help
Individuals without Parkinson’s or who cannot participate in follow-up visits or provide required samples may not benefit.
What this research studies
Researchers will collect and analyze data from people with Parkinson’s to map links between gut microbiota, gut barriers, inflammation, aging, and brain changes. They will use cross-sectional and 36-month longitudinal components, drawing on existing sample banks and new participants to build a comprehensive GMBA model. The goal is to identify markers that predict how severe PD is and how quickly it progresses, including looking at prodromal PD. A global statistical test will let researchers evaluate many related factors at once to understand their combined impact on the disease.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the findings could guide new treatments that target gut-brain pathways to slow PD progression.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown links between gut health and PD, but this project aims to integrate multiple biomarkers to improve prediction of disease course.
Where this research is happening
-
Rush University Medical Center
Chicago, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Keshavarzian, Ali — Rush University Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Keshavarzian, Ali
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Gut microbiome and Parkinson's disease: how gut bugs relate to symptoms and progression
A multi-year study will look at gut bacteria and related markers in people with Parkinson’s disease to understand how the gut-brain connection may influence symptoms and progression.
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Gut-Brain Axis in Parkinson’s Disease: biomarkers and procedures to track progression
A patient-focused program to study how gut health and the brain interact in Parkinson’s disease using biomarkers and clinical procedures.
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Gut microbiome clues for Parkinson’s disease progression
A study looks at how gut bacteria and their chemicals relate to Parkinson’s disease over time to find potential biomarkers and new treatment ideas.
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Gut microbiome and Parkinson's disease
This project looks at gut bacteria and the chemicals they make in people with Parkinson's disease over time to find patterns linked to symptoms and progression.
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Gut–brain connections in Parkinson's disease
This project adds gut and brain tests to look for gut-based signs that track Parkinson's disease progression in people living with Parkinson's.
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Understanding gut bacteria in Parkinson's disease
This research explores how gut bacteria might be connected to Parkinson's disease in people.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.