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Review
. 2020 Dec:226:39-56.
doi: 10.1016/j.trsl.2020.07.012. Epub 2020 Aug 2.

Gut dysbiosis and age-related neurological diseases; an innovative approach for therapeutic interventions

Aleah Holmes  1 , Carson Finger  1 , Diego Morales-Scheihing  1 , Juneyoung Lee  1 , Louise D McCullough  2
Affiliations
Review

Gut dysbiosis and age-related neurological diseases; an innovative approach for therapeutic interventions

Aleah Holmes et al. Transl Res. 2020 Dec.

Abstract

The gut microbiota is a complex ecosystem of bacteria, fungi, and viruses that acts as a critical regulator in microbial, metabolic, and immune responses in the host organism. Imbalances in the gut microbiota, termed "dysbiosis," often induce aberrant immune responses, which in turn disrupt the local and systemic homeostasis of the host. Emerging evidence has highlighted the importance of gut microbiota in intestinal diseases, and more recently, in age-related central nervous systems diseases, for example, stroke and Alzheimer's disease. It is now generally recognized that gut microbiota significantly influences host behaviors and modulates the interaction between microbiota, gut, and brain, via the "microbiota-gut-brain axis." Several approaches have been utilized to reduce age-related dysbiosis in experimental models and in clinical studies. These include strategies to manipulate the microbiome via fecal microbiota transplantation, administration of prebiotics and probiotics, and dietary interventions. In this review, we explore both clinical and preclinical therapies for treating age-related dysbiosis.

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Figures

Fig 1.
Fig 1.
Factors that can influence gut microbiota composition and cause gut dysbiosis
Fig 2.
Fig 2.
Changes in gut microbiota with aging. Examples of the dominant bacterial species found human intestinal tract during different stages of human development from birth. As aging occurs, there is a decrease in microbial diversity and significant shifts in the microbiome that can lead to gut dysbiosis.
Fig 3.
Fig 3.
(A) Disruption in gut epithelial structure may allow the translocation of commensal bacteria and toxic signals into the host which cause both inflammation and infection. (B) Age-associated impairment of the histological architecture and the mucin production in the colon. Colonic tissues were collected from young (2-3 months) and aged (18-20 months) mice and stained with Alcian-blue and periodic acid-Schiff staining to examine the global structure and mucins.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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