Mechanism of gut microbiota in human healthy aging

Abstract:

Aging is characterized by hypofunction of tissues and organs and increased risk of related diseases, which poses a series of challenges to the health and longevity. Despite extensive basic research on aging, the progress is limited. There is a growing awareness that the structure and function of the gut microbiota are involved in the aging. Disturbed gut microbiota manifests itself in the aging of many age-related extraintestinal organ axes. Gut microbiota can be modulated, suggesting anti-aging can be realized through gut microbiota. This study summarizes the dynamic succession of gut microbiota in different age groups. This dynamic gut microbiota develops rapidly from the fetus through birth and infancy, changes rapidly from weaning to early childhood, and then establishes a stable adult microbiota until it finally declines with age. Moreover, the research on the gut microbiota and aging-related diseases of the extraintestinal organ axis (brain, heart, liver, pancreas, muscle, skin, and bone), and targeted anti-aging by modulating the gut microbiota through diet, fecal microbiota transplantation, and microecologics is also summed up. This review is expected to provide a reference for research on anti-aging via gut microbiota.