Mice Raised in a Germ-Free Environment Exhibit Less Age-Related Inflammation and Longer Average Lifespans

The research I'll point out here is an interesting data point to add to what is known of the impact of a life-long exposure to pathogens on aging and longevity. Researchers raised mice in a germ-free environment, and found that they did not suffer anywhere near the same age-related increase in inflammation, and the average life span increased. You might compare it with another recent study in which germ-free mice developed less metabolic waste in brain tissues over a lifetime. The research here focused on the interaction between gut microbiota and the immune system over the course of aging, a topic that has been explored to an increasing degree in recent years. The influence of the microbial populations of the gut on long-term health appears to be of around the same order of magnitude as that of other prominent environmental factors, such as level of exercise, though no-one has yet demonstrated as large an effect as that of calorie restriction via manipulation of gut microbes. The high level summary is simple to outline, but the picture is a complicated one under the hood. Even given just the three broad categories of (a) immune cells, (b) gut microbes, and (c) pathogens - a dramatic oversimplification of the real picture - we can still argue about the direction of causation. Does exposure to pathogens cause malfunctions in the immune system, that in turn leads to changes in the gut microbe populations, that in turn feed back to cause further immune issues and other pr...
Source: Fight Aging! - Category: Research Authors: Tags: Medicine, Biotech, Research Source Type: blogs