Study links gut bacteria and Alzheimer’s disease

Now researchers from University College Cork (UCC) have examined this bustling city of microorganisms that live in our gut and have discovered an important link between certain gut bacteria and loss of cognitive function.

Bacteria destroy memory

The study shows that Alzheimer’s patients have more bacteria in their gut microbiota that aid inflammation.

According to researchers, these bacteria are directly linked to the deterioration of patients’ cognitive status.

The researchers collected stool samples from 69 people with Alzheimer’s disease and 64 healthy people, so they could transplant microbes from diseased and healthy intestines into 16 healthy mice.

When the researchers transferred the infected bacteria to mice, the young rodents began to show classic symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease, such as memory loss.

“We saw that animals with gut bacteria from people with Alzheimer’s produced fewer new neurons and had poorer memory,” said Yvonne Nolan, a professor of anatomy and neuroscience at UCLA and co-author of the study. press release.

Previous search Evidence has shown that changes in the gut microbiota are a potential risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease. But this is the first time as research Establishes direct contact Between the composition of the intestinal microorganisms and the development of the disease.

The intestines should be examined in a timely manner

The findings could be used to detect Alzheimer’s disease before symptoms appear by identifying inflammatory bacteria in the gut microbiome in a timely manner.

“People with Alzheimer’s disease are usually diagnosed at or after the onset of cognitive symptoms, which may be too late for many treatment options,” says Professor Nolan. “Understanding the role of the gut microbiome before potential symptoms begin could open the door to new treatments.”

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia. Dementia is the general term for memory loss and other cognitive impairments severe enough to interfere with daily life.

As the population ages, one in three people born today is likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease. According to the Alzheimer’s Association.