Research with mice has shown that altering the gut microbiome changes the behavior of immune cells in the brain. Researchers believe microbiome treatment may be possible to prevent or treat Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases. The scientific work is further proof of the importance that the so-called gut-brain axis can have in all kinds of health problems.

There is growing evidence that people with Alzheimer’s have a gut microbiome with special characteristics, but for now scientists don’t know whether differences in the microbiome are a cause or a result of the disease.

The study, led by researchers at Washington University in St. Louis and published in the journal Science, found that modifying gut bacteria from lab mice also altered the course of neurodegeneration. The mice used in the study carried the variant of the APOE gene that predisposes to the disease by generating a protein called tau.

PEOPLE WITH ALZHEIMER’S HAVE LESS DIVERSITY OF BACTERIA

A person’s microbiome changes throughout their life, influenced by diet and other environmental and lifestyle factors. Research has shown that the microbiome of people with Alzheimer’s has much lower microbial diversity than healthy people with similar age, suggesting that there may be a link.

According to these studies, the altered microbiota (dysbiosis) can increase the permeability of the intestine and blood-brain barrier or alter immune and inflammatory responses and interfere with the elimination of beta-amyloid, which accumulates in the brain.

On the other hand, research from Washington University in St. Louis has confirmed something that researchers already knew: that male and female brains respond differently at the immune level to the same stimuli. In the study, by manipulating the gut microbiota, male mice showed less damage to the brain.

HOW DO GUT BACTERIA INFLUENCE THE BRAIN?

Researchers link the production of short-chain fatty acids by gut bacteria to neurodegeneration.

These fatty acids were absent in mice with no microbiome and at very low levels in those who had received antibiotics. The researchers suggest that these fatty acids activated immune cells that damaged brain tissue.

To test this, they fed these three fatty acids to middle-aged mice with no microbiome. Their brain immune cells became more active, and subsequently their brains showed more signs of tau-bound damage.

ALZHEIMER’S: A POSSIBLE TREATMENT FOR ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE

The findings offer insight into how the microbiome might influence tau-mediated neurodegeneration in humans. The researchers suggest that modifying the gut microbiome with antibiotics, probiotics, specialized diets or other means could be a new approach to preventing and treating neurodegenerative diseases in people.

However, the findings should be treated with caution as mouse models cannot exactly replicate the disease in humans. But the researchers believe this study opens avenues for future research.

HOW CAN THE GUT MICROBIOTA BE IMPROVED?

Most studies indicate that the health of the microbiota can be favored with a diet with abundant vegetable fiber, such as that found in vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, seeds and whole grains.

In addition, the intake of probiotics (foods with live bacteria) such as yogurt, kefir, kombucha, sauerkraut or kimchi can help.

On the other hand, it is advisable to avoid unnecessary consumption of antibiotic medications (when there is no proven bacterial infection).

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