An interview with Dr. George Tetz, MD, Ph.D., discussing the discovery of the role of bacteriophages in nneurodegeneration is available online here
Bacteriophages: Are they an overlooked driver of Parkinson’s disease?
The researchers, led by George, Tetz, M.D., Ph.D., Human Microbiology Institute, showed that the abundance of lytic Lactococcus phages was higher in PD patients when compared to healthy individuals. This abundance led to a 10-fold reduction in neurotransmitter-producing Lactococcus, suggesting the possible role of phages in neurodegeneration. Comparative analysis of the bacterial component also revealed significant decreases in Streptococcus spp. and Lactobacillus spp. in PD.
NEW YORK, Sept. 23, 2016 – Alzheimer’s, cancer and other incurable diseases such as Parkinson’s and dementia can be contagious, according to researchers at the Human Microbiology Institute, who have published research linking the diseases to newly discovered bacterial viruses.
In a recent article published in Gut Pathogens, HMI researchers George and Victor Tetz said they have linked the diseases to bacteriophages.
Bacteriophages: Are they an overlooked driver of Parkinson’s disease?
June 10, 2018 – Atlanta, GA – In the first study of its kind, researchers from the New York-based Human Microbiology Institute have discovered the role certain bacteriophages may play in the onset of Parkinson’s disease (PD). The research is presented at ASM Microbe, the annual meeting of the American Society for Microbiology, held from June 7th to June 11th in Atlanta, Georgia.