VIP Neuroprotection 2025 - PubMed
Fan et al./PubMed/2025
Why It Matters
This paper caught my attention because it explores VIP as a potential therapeutic angle for Parkinson's — a disease where we still only have symptom management, not disease modification. The brain-gut peptide connection is particularly interesting given emerging research on the gut-brain axis in neurodegeneration. That said, this is a review paper summarizing existing research, not new clinical data, so we're looking at biological plausibility rather than proven human benefit.
Key Findings
- VIP is a 28-amino acid neuropeptide distributed in both central and peripheral nervous systems with multiple biological effects
- Research shows VIP demonstrates anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-apoptotic properties that could protect nerve cells
- VIP appears to regulate both glial cells and immune cells, suggesting multiple pathways for neuroprotection
- Current Parkinson's treatments only mitigate symptoms — no disease-modifying therapies exist yet
- VIP's role as a brain-gut peptide may be relevant given the gut-brain axis involvement in Parkinson's pathology
Read the Paper↗PMID: 40353414