BGI-Research, in collaboration with Beijing Hospital/National Center of Gerontology of the National Health Commission, recently revealed the potential role of gut microbiota in the human aging process. The research team discovered that the decline in renal function during human aging may be associated with changes in gut microbiota and serum metabolites. These findings were published in the internationally renowned aging research journal, Aging Cell.

The research, “Age-dependent changes in the gut microbiota and serum metabolome correlate with renal function and human aging,” was published in Aging Cell.

The study is based on a Chinese longevity cohort with a notable number of long-living individuals,nonagenarians and centenarians. (Study of Microbiota in Longevity Yongfu County, SoMiLY, ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT04210934). The research team conducted a comprehensive analysis of intestinal microbiota and serum metabolites. This group of study participants offered the research team a significant opportunity to gain insights into the human aging process.

The results indicated that the influence of gut microbiota on serum metabolites increases with age, suggesting that the role of gut microbiota in our body's biological processes may become increasingly significant as we age.

The findings were also validated in two independent external cohorts with East Asian origins, the Yunnan aging cohort (comprising 80 individuals) and the Japan aging cohort (consisting of 330 individuals).

Additionally, the researchers revealed putative causal relationships among the gut microbiota (E. coli, O. splanchnicus, and D. piger) and markers indicative of impaired renal function (p-cresol, N-phenylacetylglutamine, 2-oxindole, and 4-aminohippuric acid), which are also associated with age. This suggests that the human gut microbiome undergoes changes with increasing age, and these changes may affect kidney function by influencing serum metabolites.

The research approach for the article.

Dr. Nie Chao, Director of the Institute of Precision Health at BGI-Research, stated: "This study offers a new perspective in understanding the biological mechanisms of aging. It helps to explain why our kidney function declines with age, among other issues. Moving forward, we will conduct more related research to further understand how gut microbiota affects human health and how modifying gut microbiota can improve human health and extend lifespan."

This finding significantly underscores the critical role of gut microbiota in human health and disease and is of great importance for further elucidating issues related to healthy aging in humans.

Read the research article: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/acel.14028