Youthful Gut Microbiomes as Drivers of Rejuvenation and Healthy Aging

What To Know

This is an NIH-funded project abstract proposing preclinical studies to test whether “youthful” gut microbiomes (via autologous or allogeneic FMT in mice) can delay or reverse physiological and molecular aspects of aging.

The investigators plan organ-function measures, transcriptomics, and microbiome profiling to build a composite “rejuvenation index” and to identify microbial taxa/pathways for potential YM-based therapeutics. The project frames FMT and microbiome-derived consortia as the translational path toward first-in-human trials.

The abstract describes strong anti-aging effects in preliminary mouse work (cardiac/hepatic preservation, reduced fibrosis, mitochondrial benefits, telomere effects, and lower cancer incidence in mice) and outlines two aims: testing YM-autoFMT in mature adult mice and comparing YMs vs old microbiomes in aged mice using alloFMT.

The proposal emphasizes system-level physiological outcomes linked to molecular and microbiome analyses to guide future toxicity testing and eventual human studies. This project record reports planned and funded preclinical research rather than clinical results. It does not provide human trial outcomes or clinical recommendations.

It may lead to future human trials if preclinical results and safety testing support translation.