Published: August 28, 2024 | Updated: November 19, 2024
Norton Neuroscience Institute and Norton Research Institute are enrolling volunteers in a research study examining the link between gut microbiome and Alzheimer’s disease.
The 18-month study of people with and without Alzheimer’s disease focuses on whether an imbalance in good and bad bacteria plays a role in development of Alzheimer’s disease-related dementia.
“This an exciting new line of research into the potential cause of Alzheimer’s,” said Shirish S. Barve, Ph.D., chief research scientist for Norton Neuroscience Institute and Norton Research Institute.
“We’re hoping what we learn in this study will help us develop effective prevention and treatment therapies for Alzheimer’s disease-related dementia,” said Dr. Barve, who is known internationally for his research on the connection between gut health and brain health.
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Gut bacteria potentially could affect brain health, because gut bacteria regularly communicate with the brain. The digestive tract and brain have evolved a high level of communication to help us get the nutrients we need, signal when we’ve had enough to eat and prevent digestion of dangerous substances.
Normally, beneficial bacteria in the gut prevent the overgrowth of bad bacteria. But lifestyle and environmental factors such as age, diet, high blood pressure, obesity, sleep and pollution can result in an imbalance, which can lead to inflammation.
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In what is known as the gut-brain axis, nerves send signals back and forth and work in tandem with the immune system.
Researchers now want to learn if chronic inflammation may increase an individual’s chance of getting Alzheimer’s disease.
Inflammation is an important immune response that helps the body fight infection, injury and disease, but chronic inflammation can be unhealthy. Chronic inflammation can damage healthy cells, tissues and organs and has been linked to such chronic and life-threatening diseases as Type 2 diabetes and cancer.
Microglia are immune cells in the brain. These cells help maintain a healthy brain environment, looking for invaders and clearing away cellular debris. When they find something, they release inflammatory signals. In the aging brain, they are more likely to stay activated for longer than normal, an exaggerated response associated with Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases.
Some research suggests that gut microbes may contribute to development of amyloid deposits in the brain. Amyloids are proteins that can collect into clumps or amyloid plaques that can interrupt brain cell activity and contribute to cognitive impairment.
Whether or not someone gets Alzheimer’s is linked to factors we don’t control and those we do. In addition to aging, genetics and a family history of the disease are the biggest risk factors for Alzheimer’s. Other factors, which may account for 40% of all cases, include physical activity, diet, smoking, education, staying socially and mentally active, and blood pressure.
Alzheimer’s has a devastating impact on millions of families. Some 6.9 million Americans have Alzheimer’s, affecting an estimated 1 in 9 people over 65 and 1 in 3 people over 85 in the United States. Symptoms, which worsen over time, include memory loss and cognitive symptoms such as difficulty thinking and confusion.
Currently, most patients are treated with cognitive enhancing medications that treat the symptoms of memory loss, but not potential inflammation. One type prevents the breakdown of an important chemical messenger for learning and memory. The other helps with chemical signaling in the brain. More recently, medications have been approved that remove abnormal protein from the brain, and slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease.
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