Can Fecal Transplant Reverse Signs of Brain Aging?
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Transplanting fecal microbiota may reverse age-related declines in immunity, behavior, and cognition, a new animal study suggests. After investigators conducted fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) from young donor mice into aged recipient mice, they found that the gut microbiomes of the elderly mice began to resemble those of the younger ones. In addition, the hippocampi of the elderly mice became more physically and chemically similar to that of the young mice. After FMT, the elderly mice also performed more proficiently on tasks such as mazes and were better able to remember the maze layout on subsequent attempts.
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@ananda Studies in humans and other animals have shown a relationship between the cognitive decline associated with aging and changes in the gut microbiota. The gut microbiota is a key regulator of host immunity, especially in aging. The immune system "influences hippocampal-associated cognitive behavior." The immune system thus may be an "important link between alterations in the gut microbiota and potential effects on the brain in aging