Can "good bacteria" be used to maintain good health as we grow older? Scottish biotech company NCIMB has teamed-up with the pioneering Rowett Institute at the University of Aberdeen, to address this question in a new research project, funded by Innovate UK.
Scientists have been exploring the role of gut bacteria in human health for many years and it has now been established that microbes within our gut not only aid the digestion of food, but also play an important role in protecting us from disease and promoting health. Good gut health requires a diverse community of microbes, but as we age, the diversity within our gut microbiota changes, and this change has been associated with increased susceptibility to disease in the elderly, and other health conditions such as low-grade chronic inflammation.
Increased awareness of the links between the gut microbiome and human health has led to increased demand for supplements and foods containing species of bacteria known to be present in a healthy gut, and a better understanding of the mechanisms involved is allowing scientists to focus on the creation of more tailored products with specific health-related properties.
Julie MacKinnon, microbiome services manager at NCIMB explains more: “The bacteria in our gut play an important role in our ability to fight disease, and the mix of bacteria present is a key factor in maintaining a strong immune system. Different species of bacteria perform different functions within the gut - for example an important group of bacteria are those that produce a metabolite called butyrate. This is a short chain fatty acid, produced from digestion of dietary fibre, that is both anti-inflammatory and anti-infective. These butyrate-producing bacteria thrive best in a mixed community with other bacterial species in close proximity.
“This project will focus on elevating the production of butyrate in the gut using a bacterial consortia approach. We plan to screen panels of different bacterial species, already proven to be beneficial, and blend into a cocktail for superior performance. The goal is to be able to colonise the gut and restore gut health in the elderly with an associated improvement in longevity and quality of life”.
The research project will draw on the extensive resources and expertise of the two organisations to evaluate and characterise strains for their therapeutic potential. NCIMB has been supporting the probiotic and microbial therapeutic research community for many years through supply, storage and characterisation of bacteria. The Rowett Institute, which played a major role in establishing the link between diet and health, and is renowned for its pioneering work on the gut microbiome, has built a large collection of beneficial gut bacteria that will be screened during the project.
Commenting on the project, Professor Karen Scott from the Rowett Institute said: “The changes in our microbiome that occur with ageing can have a significant impact on quality of life, and associated health complications are putting healthcare and social care services under increasing pressure. Development of a safe and low-cost supplement that can restore or retain a healthy gut microbiome in elderly people would provide healthier ageing for individuals and have huge societal benefits.”