Open Access

REVIEW

A Brief Overview of Gut-Associated α-Synuclein Pathology

Tomoki Sekimori^1,*, Ichiro Kawahata^2,*

1 Department of Pharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai, 980-8578, Japan
2 Department of Molecular Genetics, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, 960-1295, Japan

* Corresponding Authors: Tomoki Sekimori. Email: ; Ichiro Kawahata. Email:

BIOCELL 2025, 49(11), 2125-2136. https://doi.org/10.32604/biocell.2025.070394

Received 15 July 2025; Accepted 15 September 2025; Issue published 24 November 2025

Abstract

Lewy body diseases (LBD), including Parkinson’s disease (PD) and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), are neurodegenerative disorders characterized by the intracellular aggregation and accumulation of α-Synuclein (αSyn), leading to neuronal death. Although these diseases primarily present with symptoms affecting the central nervous system (CNS), such as motor and cognitive impairment, increasing research suggests that their roots may be found in the gut. This review summarizes recent findings and key historical insights into the involvement of the gut in αSyn pathology. The topics covered include pathological observations in patients with LBD, animal models investigating the propagation of αSyn from the gut to the brain, intestinal inflammation, alterations in the gut microbiome, and the molecular mechanisms of αSyn pathology within enteric neurons. These topics are essential for understanding the involvement of the gut in αSyn pathology and provide foundational insights that may lead to future therapeutic applications.

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Keywords

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