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(02/11/2026) A team led by a New Mexico VA researcher found a potential causal link between gut bacteria and the development of Parkinson’s disease. The bacteria Desulfovibrio vulgaris has been shown to be much more prevalent in the digestive tract of people with Parkinson’s disease. The researchers showed these bacteria can cause a build-up of a protein called alpha-synuclein, which has been connected to Parkinson’s when concentrated in the brain, and that the bacteria promote the release of this protein from intestinal cells into the body. They further showed a build-up of alpha-synuclein suppresses an enzyme necessary to the brain’s ability to use the neurotransmitter dopamine. The findings advance understanding of how bacteria in the gut can drive neurodegeneration and point to a possible target for early intervention in Parkinson’s disease. (Frontiers in Neuroscience, Dec. 18, 2025)