In a new study, researchers found that reviving the gut immune system may help prevent aging-related frailty, inflammation, and disorders.
The research was done by immunologists at the Babraham Institute, Cambridge.
The gut microbiomes are made up of hundreds of different types of bacteria and these are essential to our health.
They play an important role in metabolism, brain function, and immune response
But the gut is one of the organs that are most severely affected by aging.
Age-related changes to the human gut microbiome could lead to increased frailty, inflammation and higher susceptibility to intestinal disorders.
These changes can happen in parallel with a decrease in function of the gut immune system.
In the study, the team examined fecal transplants from young to aged mice.
They found it can stimulate the gut microbiome and revive the gut immune system, partly preventing the age-related decline.
The results show that the poor gut immune response is reversible and that the response can be strengthened by appropriate stimuli.
It essentially can turn back the clock on the gut immune system to more closely resemble the situation in a young individual.
The team says the results of the study have important information for treating age-related symptoms.
They confirm a link between the effects of the aging immune system and age-associated changes in the gut microbiome.
The study also demonstrates the effectiveness of interventions that have a positive impact on the composition of the gut microbiome.
The researchers suggest that fecal transplants, probiotics, co-habitation, and diet might all prove to be ways to facilitate healthy aging.
The lead author of the study is Dr. Marisa Stebegg.
The study is published in Nature Communications.
Copyright © 2019 Knowridge Science Report. All rights reserved.
