But as scientists have studied the digestive tract’s diverse ecosystem of microbes, they have gained an increasing appreciation for the role of the appendix in regulating immune responses in the gut — with repercussions throughout the body. If alpha-synuclein is created there, or if the appendix spawns the misfolded proteins that are the hallmark of Parkinson’s disease, the presence or absence of an appendix should make a difference in a person’s likelihood of developing that disease, the authors of the new study reasoned.

Source: Los Angeles Times October 31, 2018 18:02 UTC