Ira Pastor, ideaXme exponential health ambassador and founder of Bioquark, interviews Dr. Per Borghammer, Clinical Professor in the Department of Clinical Medicine, Nuclear Medicine and the Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Center at Aarhus University in Denmark.
Ira Pastor comments:
On past shows, we have touched on the topic of systems biology, a field of study that looks at the interactions between components of biological systems, and how these interactions give rise to the function and behavior of that system, and the respective biological processes whether that be growth, development, aging, disease or degeneration.
On other shows, we’ve also touched on the microbiome and virome, as well as the connection between various microorganisms, either directly, or via the immunomodulatory and/or auto-immune effects that may occur from being exposed to them, on the downstream development, progression, or in some cases control of chronic diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Diabetes.
And lastly, we’ve touched on the topic of “inflamm-aging;” this chronic progressive increase in the proinflammatory status across your body as you get older.
Today we are going to continue along at the intersection of these interesting themes in relation to the topic of Parkinson’s Disease (PD).
Parkinson’s Disease
Parkinson’s Disease is a long-term degenerative disorder of the central nervous system (affecting an estimated 6 million people globally) that mainly affects the motor system. The symptoms usually emerge slowly, which in early disease typically manifest as shaking, rigidity, slowness of movement, and difficulty with walking, and these main motor symptoms are collectively called “parkinsonism,” or a “parkinsonian syndrome.”
The motor symptoms of the disease result from the death of cells in the substantia nigra, a region of the midbrain which results in not enough dopamine being produced in this region of the brain. The cause of this cell death is poorly understood, but it involves the build-up of proteins (a main one being alpha-synuclein) into abnormal aggregates called Lewy bodies in the neurons.
As the disease worsens, non-motor symptoms become more common and thinking and behavioral problems may also occur. Dementia becomes common in the advanced stages of the disease. Depression and anxiety are also common, occurring in more than a third of people with PD. Other symptoms include sensory, sleep and emotional problems.
The cause of Parkinson’s Disease is unknown, but is believed to involve both genetic and environmental factors. Those with a family member affected are more likely to get the disease themselves. There is also an increased risk in people exposed to certain pesticides and among those who have had prior head injuries, while interestingly there is a reduced risk for tobacco smokers and those who drink coffee or tea.
Our guest today is going to take us down the path of a fascinating new theory that in certain cases of Parkinson’s Disease, this horrific degenerative CNS disorder, might actually arise not in the CNS at all, but in the intestinal system and from there migrate to the brain.
Dr. Per Borghammer
Dr. Per Borghammer, is Clinical Professor in the Department of Clinical Medicine, Nuclear Medicine and the Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Center at Aarhus University in Denmark.
With a PhD in Neuroscience and a medical degree from Aarhus, Dr. Borghammer specializes in a variety of Neurobiological research areas including the study of Parkinson’s disease, Atypical Parkinson’s, and other neurodegenerative brain disorder pathophysiology & imaging, imaging within the parasympathetic nervous system, and imaging of cholinergic signalling processes that occur in other pathologies such as prostate cancer and chronic inflammation.
He recently won the European Association of Nuclear Medicine’s Marie Curie Award for a project entitled “Visualising Parasympathetic Denervation in Parkinson’s Disease.”
Today we will hear from Dr. Borghammer:
How he became interested in science, medicine and the intersection of nuclear medicine and neuroscience. The current state of the nuclear medicine research system. When and how the idea arose that PD may start in the gut and how he contributed to this finding. The difference between “brain-first” and “gut-first” PD pathology. What could be the initiating causes of gut-first PD. Finally, how we may bring gut-first PD under control.
Credits: Ira Pastor interview video, text, and audio.
Follow Ira Pastor on Twitter: @IraSamuelPastor
If you liked this interview, be sure to check out our interview with Dr. Gumucio exploring the beginning of life!
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