The Prospects for Treating Neurodegenerative Conditions by Modifying the Gut Microbiome

The gut microbiome interacts with the body via a wide range of mechanisms, including induction of chronic inflammatory responses and delivery of both harmful and beneficial metabolites. With advancing age, the balance of populations making up the gut microbiome changes in ways that increase the harms while reducing the benefits. This may happen because the aged immune system becomes less able to clear problem microbes, but other mechanisms such as lifestyle changes and intestinal tissue aging may also contribute meaningfully. Fortunately, studies have demonstrated that making sizable, lasting changes to the gut microbiome is possible, such as via fecal microbiota transplant using a young donor. In animal studies, this can restore a more youthful balance of populations and thereby improve health and extend life. Trillions of microbes live symbiotically in the host, specifically in mucosal tissues such as the gut. Recent advances in metagenomics and metabolomics have revealed that the gut microbiota plays a critical role in the regulation of host immunity and metabolism, communicating through bidirectional interactions in the microbiota-gut-brain axis (MGBA). The gut microbiota regulates both gut and systemic immunity and contributes to the neurodevelopment and behaviors of the host. With aging, the composition of the microbiota changes, and emerging studies have linked these shifts in microbial populations to age-related neurological diseases (NDs). Preclinical...
Source: Fight Aging! - Category: Research Authors: Tags: Daily News Source Type: blogs