CHICAGO -- Research on gut-brain communication via the immune system may help in the development of novel treatments for neurodegenerative diseases. The findings were presented at Neuroscience 2019, the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience and the world's largest source of emerging news about brain science and health.
There is now an increased understanding of the connection between the almost 100 trillion microbes in our intestine (i.e., the "gut" microbiome) and the brain. Recent studies suggest that intestinal bacterial imbalance is connected to disorders like allergies, obesity, cancer, and neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's Disease (AD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI). As this relationship becomes better understood, so too does the potential to use this connection to ameliorate the pathology of neurological diseases.
Today's new findings show that:
"These are important contributions to our understanding of the complex relationship between the gut and the brain," said press conference moderator Jane A. Foster, PhD, an associate professor at McMaster University who studies the role of immune-brain and gut-brain interactions on neurodevelopment. "The evidence suggests that manipulating gut health can also impact brain health in relevant ways, and that microbiome balance corresponds to improved immune functioning. Continued research in this area has the potential to give us more treatment options for neurodegenerative diseases in the future."
This research was supported by national funding agencies including the National Institutes of Health and private funding organizations. Find out more about Alzheimer's Disease, traumatic brain injury, and other cognitive disorders on BrainFacts.org.
Related Neuroscience 2019 Presentation
Minisymposium: The Gut-Brain Axis in Health and Brain Disease
Sunday, Oct. 20, 1:30 - 4:00 p.m., Room S406A
Gut-Brain Press Conference Summary
Sex-specific Effects of Microbiome Perturbations on Cerebral Aβ Amyloidosis and Microglia Phenotypes in an Alzheimer's Transgenic Mouse Model
Hemraj Dodiya, hemraj_dodiya@yahoo.com , Abstract 106.01
Effects of Probiotic Supplementation on Serum and Brain Short Chain Fatty Acids in the App NL-G-F Mouse Model of Alzheimer's Disease
Harpreet Kaur, harpreet.kaur@und.edu , Abstract 106.08
Probiotic Therapeutics Prevent Neurological and Cognitive Deficits in Traumatic Brain Injury in Mice
Wellington Amaral, wellingtonamaral@gmail.com , Abstract 541.12
Soluble TNF Mediates Obesogenic Diet-Induced Alterations in Peripheral and Brain Immunophenotype in a Mouse Model of Alzheimer's Disease
Malu Tansey, mgtansey@UFL.edu , Abstract 564.10
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About the Society for Neuroscience
The Society for Neuroscience is the world's largest organization of scientists and physicians devoted to understanding the brain and nervous system. The nonprofit organization, founded in 1969, now has nearly 37,000 members in more than 90 countries and over 130 chapters worldwide.