The composition of the gut microbiome and, in particular, the presence of certain bacterial species may be an early marker of Alzheimer’s disease and appear before cognitive symptoms become evident. This is what emerges from a study by the Washington University School of Medicine in Saint Louis published in Science Translational Medicine.
‘The human gut microbiome harbors a diverse community of microorganisms in composition and function that influences the health and well-being of their hosts,’ the researchers explain. It has long been observed that people with late-stage Alzheimer’s have a different microbiome than those without the disease.
The research, studying 164 people, has now found that, even before the onset of symptoms, those who develop Alzheimer’s have a different composition of the microbiome. It also profiled the families of bacteria characteristic of patients with dementia. If the results are confirmed, according to the researchers, in the future it could be easier to identify people at greater risk of developing the disease at an early stage.
Not only. “We don’t yet know whether it’s the gut that influences the brain or the brain that influences the gut, but, either way, knowing this link is valuable,” said study coordinator Gautam Dantas in a statement. “It could be that the changes in the gut microbiome are just a mirror of pathological changes in the brain. The other alternative is that the gut microbiome contributes to Alzheimer’s; in which case regulating the gut microbiome with probiotics or fecal transfers could help change the course of the disease,” concluded Dantas.
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