Gut microbiota and aging

Abstract

Aging is characterized by the functional decline of tissues and organs and increased risk of aging-associated disorders, which pose major societal challenges and are a public health priority. Despite extensive human genetics studies, limited progress has been made linking genetics with aging. There is a growing realization that the altered assembly, structure and dynamics of the gut microbiota actively participate in the aging process. Age-related microbial dysbiosis is involved in reshaping immune responses during aging, which manifest as immunosenescence (insufficiency) and inflammaging (over-reaction) that accompany many age-associated enteric and extraenteric diseases. The gut microbiota can be regulated, suggesting a potential target for aging interventions. This review summarizes recent findings on the physiological succession of gut microbiota across the life-cycle, the roles and mechanisms of gut microbiota in healthy aging, alterations of gut microbiota and aging-associated diseases, and the gut microbiota-targeted anti-aging strategies.

Keywords:

• Aging
• bacterial diversity
• fecal microbiota transplantation
• gut microbiota
• lifespan
• succession

Disclosure statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Additional information

Funding

This present work was funded by the grants of the National S&T Major Project of China (2018YFC2000500), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (81771724, 31700800, 81790631), the S&T Major Project of Lishui (2017YSKZ-01 and 2017ZDYF04), Lishui & ZJU Cooperation Project (2018zdhz07), and the Foundation of China’s State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases.