[ad_1]
A pioneering study Posted in scientific journal amb express suggests that The intestinal microbiota could become a key tool for early and non -invasive detection of Alzheimer’s. The finding comes from a team of researchers from the Francisco de Vitoria University (UFV), in collaboration with the Complutense University of Madrid (UCM) and the European University of Madrid (EMA).
An intestinal firm associated with genetic risk
He Alzheimer’s represents between 60% and 70% of dementia cases worldwide and affects more than 50 million peopleaccording to data from the World Health Organization (WHO). In this context, the researchers decided to study if they existed Differences in intestinal microbiota specifically associated with the APOE4 geneknown for significantly increasing Alzheimer’s risk.
“We wanted to check if possible Identify early signals related to APOE4 in healthy and young adults, taking into account the recent evidence that They link the intestinal microbiota with brain health”, Explains Carlo Bressa, researcher at the Institute of Biosanitary Research of the UFV and main co -author of the study.
The analysis included 77 healthy adultsbetween 18 and 48 years, with carefully controlled and genotyped lifestyles for the APE gene. The most striking results showed that APOE4 allele carriers had a considerable reduction (up to five times smaller) of bacteria of the genre Megamonas and also a significant decrease in the bacterial group Eubacterium Brachyboth involved in energy extraction and the regulation of body fatty tissue.
Mar Larrosa, main researcher of the study at the Complutense University of Madrid, says: “These microbiological differences could reflect early metabolic adaptations related to Alzheimer’s genetic riskwhich appear long before there are detectable symptoms or brain alterations. ”
Microbial adaptations against oxidative stress
The team also detected Important changes in metabolic functions of these bacteria. Specifically, they observed an increase in bacterial routes related to carotenoid production, pigments with antioxidant properties whose concentration is usually lower in the carriers of the APOE4 gene.
This change could be interpreted as a Compensatory response to the highest oxidative stress to which these people are predisposed. They also detected a Increase in bacterial metabolism of the trehalose, a sugar with neuroprotective functionwhose greatest degradation could reduce its availability in the body and negatively affect brain health.
Carlo Bressa clarifies these results explaining that “the increase in carotenoid production could be interpreted as a Adaptation of the intestinal microbiota against the greatest oxidative stress that accompanies the APOE4 gene. However, the Increased bacterial metabolism of the trehalosa could decrease its availability in the body, which paradoxically would reduce its neuroprotective potential and could have a negative impact on long -term brain health. ”
A possible early and non -invasive diagnosis
One of the most relevant and promising aspects of the study is Possibility of using these microbial differences such as early and non -invasive biomarkers of Alzheimer’s risk. “These specific patterns in the intestinal microbiota could constitute early risk of risk in healthy people, before the first symptoms appear neurological, ”he says Mar Larrosa.
Also, these results open possible Personalized prevention routessince knowing these early markers could facilitate specific dietary interventions or the directed use of probiotics to favorably modulate microbiota in people with genetic predisposition to Alzheimer’s nevertheless, experts clarify that It is necessary to validate these findings in larger and diverse cohorts before they can be used effectively in the clinic.
The key role of the intestine in brain health
Although these results are promising, researchers insist that There is much to understand. It is not known with certainty if the changes observed in the intestinal microbiota of the bearers of the APOE4 gene are a direct cause of the Alzheimer’s, an early response of the organism or both at the same time.
What is clear is that The intestine and its microorganisms have a more important role than thought of brain health. This study is another step in a line of research that is gaining more and more strength: the one that studies How our microbiota can influence, in the long term, the functioning of the brain.
Therefore, the research team underlines the need to continue studying This phenomenon in broader and diverse groups of people, to verify whether these microbial differences could be used one day as early diagnostic tools or as targets for preventive interventions. Meanwhile, Take care of intestinal health from early stages could become one of the keys to protect the brain throughout life.
[ad_2]
Source link
