Personalized prediction of cognition through human microbiota

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Gut microbiota is an important and under-recognized player in neurocognitive dysfunction of aged subjects. The prevalence of neurodegenerative disorders are among the greatest current health threats of aging in EU. Strong evidence highlights the effects of obesity on neurocognitive dysfunction and altered microbiota composition. However, the knowledge is yet very scarce in humans. To overcome these issues, we will set a unique consortium of cross-border experts in the field, with exploratory tools, and human databases, taking advantage of the study of parallel changes in body composition, gut microbiota, serum metabolomics, brain microstructure and cognition. We will also scrutinize tissue transcriptomics, serum and urine metabolomics, and metagenomics in association with cognition, both cross-sectionally and longitudinally in cohorts involving >1700 subjects. Bioinformatics and biomathematics models will uncover bacterial species and their metabolites interacting with the gut microbiota-colon-liver-brain axis, and its impact on neurocognitive decline. Gain of knowledge regarding mode of action will be obtained in germ-free mice colonized with ad hoc bacterial communities in which extensive neurocognitive procedures will be studied after fecal transplantation. The information will also be used to build tools that will permit to individually predict and prevent diseases associated with gut microbiota-colon-liver- brain.

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