The gut microbiome significantly influences long-term health, akin to physical fitness. As individuals age, the balance of microbial populations shifts unfavorably—one of the early detriments of aging. By the time someone reaches their mid-30s, meaningful changes become evident. Beneficial species that produce metabolites contributing to tissue function decline, while harmful species associated with chronic inflammation increase. Thankfully, interventions can restore a more youthful microbial balance. Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) from a young donor to an older patient is one such approach. In short-lived species, FMT improves health and extends lifespan. Although FMT is currently used in a limited clinical context, the broader availability of therapies to reverse gut microbiome aging remains uncertain. At present, self-experimenters are the primary recipients of this treatment. Research on the gut microbiome’s role in aging and neurodegenerative diseases has intensified. As the global population ages,…
Omics Points to a Role for the Gut Microbiome in Aging of the Hippocampus
Some of the metabolites produced by the gut microbiome aid function in the brain. For example, there is good evidence for butyrate produced by the microbiome to improve neurogenesis in the brain via modulating expression of BDNF. Unfortunately, the amounts of a number of beneficial metabolites produced by the gut microbiome declines with age, while harmful metabolites and inflammatory signaling increases. Researchers here gather data to support a role in the hippocampus specifically for a number of metabolites that originate in the gut microbiome, the area of the brain most involved in memory function. This and many other lines of research suggest that more attention should be given to the development of therapies capable of lasting restoration of a more youthful gut microbiome, such as fecal microbiota transplantation. Aging is an intricate biological event that occurs in both vertebrates and…