Could a fecal transplant one day be the secret of eternal youth?

Date:
October 2, 2020
Source:
University of East Anglia
Summary:
Fecal transplants could one day be used to restore cognitive decline
among the elderly - according to new research. A new study shows
how fecal transplants from older to younger mice altered their
gut microbiome, which in turn impacted their spatial learning and
memory. The research team hope the reverse could also be true,
and one day used as a therapy to restore cognitive function in
older people.



FULL STORY ========================================================================== Could a fecal transplant one day be the secret of eternal youth?

========================================================================== fecal transplants could one day be used as a therapy to restore cognitive function in the elderly -- according to new research from the University
of East Anglia, the University of Florence and the Quadram Institute.

A new study published today shows how fecal transplants from older to
younger mice altered their gut microbiome, which in turn impacted their
spatial learning and memory.

The research team hope that reversing the procedure could one day see
fecal transplantation used to combat cognitive decline among the elderly.

Dr David Vauzour, from UEA's Norwich Medical School, said: "Ageing is
an inevitable process that starts immediately after birth and ultimately
leads to physical health problems as well as a decline in psychological well-being and cognitive function.

"Research has shown that the aging process may be linked with age-related changes in our gut microbiota.



========================================================================== "Recently, the existence of two-way communication between the gut and
the brain -- known as the 'gut-brain axis' -- has emerged as an important player in shaping aspects of behaviour and cognitive function.

"We wanted to see whether transferring gut microbes from older to
younger mice could affect parts of the central nervous system associated
with ageing." The research team performed fecal transplants from older
adult mice to younger adult mice and then assessed the young adults for
markers such as anxiety, exploratory behaviour and memory.

After the transplantation, the team found significant differences in
the young mice's microbial profiles.

While the young adults showed no significant changes in markers of
anxiety, explorative behaviour or locomotor activity, they did show
impaired spatial learning and memory as measured in a maze test.



========================================================================== These changes were paralleled by alterations in the expression of proteins associated with synaptic plasticity and neuro transmission, and changes
to cells in the hippocampus part of their brains -- responsible for
learning and memory.

Dr Vauzour said: "Our research shows that a fecal transplantation from
an old donor to a young recipient causes an age-associated shift in the composition of gut microbiota.

"The procedure had an impact on the expression of proteins involved in
key functions of the hippocampus -- an important part of the brain that
has a vital role in a variety of functions including memory, learning
but also in spatial navigation and emotional behaviour and mood.

"In short, the young mice began to behave like older mice, in terms of
their cognitive function." Prof Claudio Nicoletti, from the University
of Florence, Italy, said: "While it remains to be seen whether
transplantation from very young donors can restore cognitive function
in aged recipients, the findings demonstrate that age- related shifts
in the gut microbiome can alter components of the central nervous system.

"This work highlights the importance of the gut-brain axis in ageing
and provides a strong rationale to devise therapies aiming to restore
a young-like microbiota to improve cognitive functions and quality of
life in the elderly," he added.

"Manipulating the microbiome is increasingly being seen as a way of
improving or maintaining human health, and these results are an exciting indication of its potential for helping us age healthily" said Prof
Arjan Narbad from the Quadram Institute.

"We have established an FMT service on the Norwich Research Park to treat serious gut infections and now want to explore in humans its effectiveness
in combating a number of age-related conditions, including cognitive
decline." The research was led by a team at UEA and the University of Florence, in collaboration with colleagues at the University of Milan,
the Earlham Institute, University of Siena, the Quadram Institute,
and Nottingham Trent University.


========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by University_of_East_Anglia. Note:
Content may be edited for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Alfonsina D'Amato, Lorenzo Di Cesare Mannelli, Elena Lucarini,
Angela L.

Man, Gwenaelle Le Gall, Jacopo J. V. Branca, Carla Ghelardini,
Amedeo Amedei, Eugenio Bertelli, Mari Regoli, Alessandra
Pacini, Giulia Luciani, Pasquale Gallina, Annalisa Altera,
Arjan Narbad, Massimo Gulisano, Lesley Hoyles, David Vauzour,
Claudio Nicoletti. Faecal microbiota transplant from aged donor
mice affects spatial learning and memory via modulating hippocampal
synaptic plasticity- and neurotransmission-related proteins in young
recipients. Microbiome, 2020; 8 (1) DOI: 10.1186/s40168-020- 00914-w ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/10/201002091049.htm

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