REVIEW article
Front. Aging Neurosci.
Sec. Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms of Brain-aging
This article is part of the Research TopicMitochondrial Dysfunction in Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms of Brain AgingView all articles
The Application of Fecal microbiota transplantation in Parkinson's Disease
Provisionally accepted
Tianfei Luo*
Boyan Wang- First Affiliated Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
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Background: Parkinson's disease (PD) is a multisystem neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the aggregation of α-synuclein (α-syn) in dopaminergic neurons of the substantia nigra. The pathogenesis of PD remains incompletely understood, and disease-modifying therapies are lacking. Emerging evidence suggests that gut microbiota and their metabolites influence both intestinal and Central Nervous System (CNS) functions via the Microbiota-Gut-Brain Axis (MGBA). Recent studies have identified dysbiosis in the gut microbiota of PD patients, which may contribute to disease progression through two primary mechanisms: First, increased intestinal permeability, allowing pro-inflammatory factors and microbial metabolites to affect the Enteric Nervous System (ENS) and subsequently spread to the CNS via the vagal neurons; Secondly, disruption of the Blood-Brain Barrier (BBB), leading to neuroinflammation and aberrant α-syn aggregation, ultimately resulting in dopaminergic neuron degeneration. These findings underscore the critical role of the MGBA in PD pathogenesis, which makes gut microbiota modulation a promising therapeutic target. Highlights: This review synthesizes current knowledge on gut microbiota alterations in PD and evaluates the potential of Fecal Microbiota Transplantation (FMT) as an adjunctive therapy to alleviate motor and non-motor symptoms and slow disease progression. Conclusions: FMT has demonstrated efficacy in ameliorating PD symptoms via the MGBA. However, further preclinical and clinical studies are needed to fully elucidate its mechanisms and optimize therapeutic protocols. Targeting the gut microbiota may offer novel biomarkers and intervention strategies for PD.
Keywords: fecal microbiota transplantation, Gut Microbiota, Microbiota-gut-brain axis, Parkinson's disease, Oxidative Stress
Received: 26 Sep 2025; Accepted: 28 Nov 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Luo and Wang. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Tianfei Luo
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