Researchers study bacteria that would be beneficial against Alzheimer’s

In recent years we have repeatedly heard that we have a second brain, the gut, which contains more than 100 million neurons and that its microbiota is capable of producing neurotransmitters that are related to mood and anxiety; In this context, the close relationship of the intestine with our brain It is the subject of studies by microbiologists and neurologists around the world, who seek therapeutic alternatives to mental health problems.

A group from Tucumán, which specializes in the study of probiotic bacteria, unravels the action of two bacteria that could help reduce oxidative stress and strengthen anti-inflammatory treatments. Alzheimer’s.

Scientists from the Lactobacilli Reference Center (CERELA) of Conicet NOA Sur and professors from the National University of Tucumán found that a bacterium isolated from quinoa flour sourdough produces GABA (gamma aminobutyric acid), a substance which is a chemical messenger of the central nervous system that is fundamental in the modulation of behavior.

Another of the bacteria studied -which originates from goat cheese- inhibits the enzyme acetylcholinesterase, which would prevent the destruction of the released acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter found at very low levels in the disease Alzheimer’s.

The research is led by María Lucila Saavedra, from the Genetics and Molecular Biology laboratory, and by Elvira Hebert, from the Technology Laboratory, as well as Gabriela Bulacios, a doctoral fellow from CONICET, and Johana Naja, from the National Agency for Science and Technology, which are part of Cerela; while the work that seeks to elucidate the mechanism of action of the bacteria had an important advance during the thesis of Pablo Cataldo, postdoctoral fellow of the Conicet and professor of the UNT.

Cataldo described how one of the probiotic bacteria is able to overcome acidic environments in the gastrointestinal tract, reach the intestine viable, and be capable of producing the GABA neurotransmitter.

image.png

Psychobiotics that would generate benefits for mental health

The researcher explained that this type of specific probiotics are known as “psychobiotics” which, when administered in sufficient quantity, can generate mental health benefits. He added that the name was coined by a group of researchers from Ireland in 2013 when they were studying the effects of certain bacteria on mental health.

The scientist recalled that we have 10 times more microbes than human cells in the body, that they are in permanent symbiosis in the intestine and that they send signals to the brain. “In fact, they are thought to communicate via three pathways: the vagus nerve, the circulation (via hormones, metabolites, and neurotransmitters), and the immune system,” he described.

Cataldo mentioned that an unbalanced intestinal microbiota could be related to numerous neurological and behavioral disorders and disorders such as anxiety, depression and even insomnia, although they would not be the only causes, since mental health problems have multiple causes.

“We know that a person with Alzheimer’s has an intestinal microbiota different from that of a healthy person”, he exemplified “and that does not mean that it is the cause, but it does mean that they are related in some way”, he announced.

For her part, the doctor in biochemistry, María Elvira Hebert, commented that many clinical trials of lactic acid bacteria are currently being carried out around the world to treat Alzheimer’s.

“Before, neuroscientists did not meet with microbiologists, now they do and they are beginning to learn about the impact on mental health from microbiology. There are trials from 2003 in which they made diets fortified with GABA-producing bacteria, a key chemical messenger in our behavior, and as a result, these people coped better with stress situations and were able to rest better than the control group,” he explained.

Hebert commented: “We still don’t know if one of the bacteria we studied by itself has an immunomodulatory effect or if it’s because of the GABA it produces. We know that they better prepare the body in stressful situations, when there is an exacerbated response in the immune system, for example, in cases of irritable bowel syndrome or Crohn’s disease, these bacteria reduce and control inflammation. We have been observing responses of these bacteria in animal models with Alzheimer’s characteristics, which have transitory cognitive impairment,” he pointed out.

The doctor in biological sciences, María Lucila Saavedra, commented that they studied the complete genome of the two local psychobiotic bacteria. He stressed that this group of bacteria is known by the acronym in English “GRAS” used by federal regulatory agencies to refer to substances used as food additives, which are generally recognized as safe, therefore, they do not need toxicity tests. .