Gut Macrophages and LRRK2: A Novel Paradigm for Parkinson’s Disease

Emerging data suggest a role for the gut-brain axis and neuroinflammation in the development of Parkinson’s disease, but the mechanisms by which gut pathology relates to brain pathology are not clear. This project will study a potential role for the Parkinson’s associated gene, LRRK2, in gut macrophages and signaling in the enteric nervous system. The team brings together expertise in neuroimmunology, alpha-synuclein biochemistry, and cell biology to profile gut macrophages in both mouse models and human samples to assess their role in alpha-synuclein spread from the gut and enteric nervous system to the central nervous system.