Parkinson's disease 'may start in gut' 帕金森病可能源于肠胃系统

Parkinson's disease 'may start in gut' 帕金森病可能源于肠胃系统

Play audio file 美国加利福尼亚的科学家称他们的研究让人类对帕金森疾病有了重新的认识。发表在《细胞》科学杂志上的科研文章提出大脑紊乱可能是由生活在肠道内的细菌引起的。专家说这项研究结果开辟了“令人兴奋的新研究途径”。请听  James Gallagher 的报道。

In Parkinson's disease, the brain is progressively damaged, causing people to experience tremors and difficulty moving.

The researchers use mice genetically programmed to develop Parkinson's, but only those with bacteria in their stomachs developed symptoms, sterile mice remained healthy. Further tests show transplanting bacteria from Parkinson’s patients led to more symptoms than bacteria from healthy people.

The California Institute of Technology says the findings mark a paradigm shift in the understanding of the disease. It's thought some bacteria release chemicals that over activate parts of the brain leading to damage. And that drugs that act on gut bugs or probiotics could become new treatments.

The charity Parkinson's UK said there's still a long way to go, but the work opened an exciting new avenue of research. 

词汇表 progressively 逐步地

tremors 颤抖，震颤

genetically programmed 基因设定成的

symptoms 症状

sterile 无菌的

paradigm shift （思维认知的）彻底转变

probiotics 益生菌

new avenue 新的渠道，新的途径

测验 请听报道并回答下列问题。

1. Parkinson's disease affects which part of the human body?

2. What was introduced to the mice in the experiments?

3. True or false? Sterile mice showed symptoms of Parkinson's disease in the experiment.

4. Which word in the text means 'to cause something to start'?

答案 1. Parkinson's disease affects which part of the human body?

The brain.

2. What was introduced to the mice in the experiments?

Bacteria was put into the mice's stomachs.

3. True or false? Sterile mice showed symptoms of Parkinson's disease in the experiment.

False. Only these with bacteria in their stomachs developed symptoms, sterile mice remained health.

4. Which word in the text means 'to cause something to start'?

Activate.