New research suggests that Parkinson’s disease may begin in the digestive tract and spread to the brain, potentially fueled by a chain reaction initiated by gut microbes. The study, published in ACS Chemical Biology and ACS Chemical Neuroscience, highlights the role of E. coli bacteria and the formation of protein clumps in the gut, similar to those found in the brains of Parkinson’s patients. While this research is still in its early stages, it opens up exciting possibilities for understanding and potentially preventing this devastating neurodegenerative disease.