Altered gut immune system in Alzheimer's mouse model provides new target for therapeutics (High-fiber diet / inulin)

The gut contains the largest collection of immune cells in the body. New research shows that some of those immune cells travel along the brain/gut axis in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease (AD), providing a potential new therapeutic pathway for the memory-robbing malady. The research also shows that feeding the mice a high-fiber diet reduces AD-related frailty, including tremor. Priya Makhijani, Ph.D. found that specific antibody-producing B cells, normally responsible for keeping the microbiome and the gut immune system in harmony, were reduced in the mice bred to develop AD. She also discovered this cell type has a migratory...