Gut microbes eat levodopa: COMT inhibitors backfire in Parkinson’s treatment
TL;DR
A Yale-led study shows that COMT inhibitors, used with levodopa to treat Parkinson’s, disrupt the gut microbiome and promote Enterococcus faecalis, which metabolizes levodopa in the gut and prevents it from reaching the brain. This microbiome-mediated drug interaction helps explain why identical doses can variably affect patients and suggests clinicians should consider gut bacteria when evaluating co-prescribed drugs; the finding could extend to other disease-drug combinations.
Topics:healthscience#comt-inhibitors#enterococcus-faecalis#gut-microbiome#levodopa#parkinsons-disease#science
- Parkinson’s Meds Accidentally Trigger Bacteria to "Eat" Levodopa Neuroscience News
- A drug–microbiome–drug interaction impacts co-prescribed medications for Parkinson’s disease Nature
- COMT Inhibitors May Fuel Gut Bacteria That Degrade Levodopa in Parkinson’s Patients drugscontrol.org
- New Study Finds Counterproductive Effect of Parkinson’s Disease Drug | Newswise Newswise
- Parkinson’s medications may interact through gut bacteria, new study finds Parkinson's News Today
Want the full story? Read the original reporting
Read on Neuroscience News