DRIVERS OF PARKINSON’S DISEASE: HELICOBACTER GENUS IN CONTEXT of GUT MICROBIOME

Background A systematic review¹, by our Host Microbiome Interaction: Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics Research Group, concludes that H. pylori is a pathophysiological driver of Parkinson’s disease (PD), but zoonotic Helicobacter species (NHPH) are also implicated. Rural living/farm experience has long been linked to PD. A large mortality study found increased proportional mortality from PD in livestock farmers, decreased in arable.² Agrochemicals used in these sectors are different, but transmission of infections from animal hosts is a compelling explanation, since ‘neurodegeneration’ in PD is accompanied by brain inflammation and there are biological gradients of circulating immune-inflammatory markers on measures of PD-facets. Relative frequency of an NHPH was 10 times greater in DNA-extract from gastric-biopsy in PD, than in ‘controls’ from UK gastroenterology-services.³ Hazard-of-death was 12 times greater with H. suis-positivity than with negativity.⁴ Ongoing work adds depth and broader context to above. 

Scope This includes further development of (i) screening methods for NHPH with translation into practice, (ii) clinical phenotyping of participants, (iii) mechanistic insights.

¹J Clin Med.2020;9:2159; ²Eur J Epidemiol 2011;26:S1–58; ³Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 2013;38:1347; ⁴Front Med. 2019;6:188.

Application - Initially email [Email Address Removed] with CV: subject: PhD application.

Submit formal application via the King’s Apply portal (apply.kcl.ac.uk), selecting the course name: Life Course Science Research MPhil/PhD (Full-time).

Details of what is required and entry requirements etc are here: https://www.kcl.ac.uk/study-legacy/postgraduate/research-courses/life-course-sciences-mphil-phd