Could a fecal transplant one day restore cognitive function in elderly? | Hacker News Reader

Could a fecal transplant one day restore cognitive function in elderly?

medicaldialogues.in

29 pointslaurex17 comments

The paper Faecal microbiota transplant from aged donor mice affects spatial learning and memory via modulating hippocampal synaptic plasticity- and neurotransmission-related proteins in young recipients [1]:

> Only four genera (Prevotellaceae, Faecalibaculum, Lachnospiraceae and Ruminococcaceae) were found to be significantly differentially abundant

which impacts brain function:

> Subsequent protein network analyses highlighted several differentially expressed proteins in the hippocampus of adult mice that received microbiota from aged donors compared to adult mice that received microbiota from age-matched adult donors.

which implies the involvement of cellular signalling.

Interestingly:

> although major alterations of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) components were not detected, we observed a downregulation of proteins involved in glucose transport across the BBB... that might contribute to the dysfunctional bioenergetic system of the ageing brain

[1] https://microbiomejournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186...

> "While it remains to be seen whether transplantation from very young donors can restore cognitive function in aged recipients, the findings demonstrate that age-related shifts in the gut microbiome can alter components of the central nervous system."

Looking forward to future results testing the other direction.

Gut-brain connection was a great find and overall this is an exciting idea, despite how bizzare it seems on first read.

I always find it funny though, if the fecal transplant practice is done without knowing the whole scientific context, it sounds like a witch-doctory treatment.

Many treatments around the mind aren't completely understood, they've just been proven to work without too many side effects.

I think fecal transplants have a proven, or near proven ability to treat obesity and diabetes and used after illness or antibiotics have wiped out a patients gut microbiome. Pro biotic supplements are already derived from fecal matter and widely accepted. Under the right conditions its probably a low risk procedure.

Actually it is not a so new idea, for example the first publication I can find with this mention (brain-gut axis) is from 1980 [0]

Since there were nearly 3 thousands publications, but no real breakthrough in medicine.

[0] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7301638/

Ah, forgive my ignorance and thanks for the insight.

> despite how bizzare it seems on first read.

I was looking at a plate of food the other day and thought "Hello, future me!"

if anyone wants a billion dollar idea that is unfortunately too early for the world, it's the sperm-bank equivalent for fecal transplants, and if you really wanna go luxury / premium go the Cameo route and create a marketplace to get high performers and celebrities' poop on a marketplace for people to buy and use for transplant.

So one day it might be possible to literally have shit for brains.

Always has been

Well, some people do have shit for brains, so this might work...

Downers are out in force on this one.

Humour is frowned upon in these parts lest it becomes the toilet that is Reddit.

Because humor is less important?

Nope. Sorry my comment was a facetious stab at the lack of comedy here. It’s essential and lacking.

No.

That’s a quite shitty response

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