Resource Summary Report  New Search

URL: http://eldermet.ucc.ie

Proper Citation: ELDERMET Gut microbiota as an indicator and agent of nutritional health in elderly Irish subjects (RRID:SCR_008492)

Description: Latest publications: ELDERMET research has recently been published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (USA). This work focuses on the composition and stability of the intestinal bacteria in older Irish adults. Read the paper here. Would you like to be part of ELDERMET? We are currently looking for people, aged 65 years or older, living in the community. All we ask is that you live in the Cork area, or are willing to travel to Cork, and have recently (within the last two/three weeks) taken any kind of antibiotic. It doesnt matter if you are still taking the antibiotic, as long as the finishing date isnt more than four weeks before your first visit to ELDERMET. ELDERMET Objectives To assess the composition of the faecal microbiota of elderly volunteers in the Irish population, using state-of-the-art molecular techniques. To correlate diversity, composition, and metabolic potential of the faecal microbial metagenome with health, diet and lifestyle indices that are a) likely to be influenced by the microbiota or b) to influence the microbiota. To develop recommendations for specific dietary ingredients, foodstuffs, functional foods and/or dietary supplements, that will improve the health of elderly consumers. To provide evidence-based recommendations for prospective studies to determine the molecular mechanisms for health improvements promoted by specific food ingredients that modulate components of the microbiota. ELDERMET Rationale The human intestinal microbiota is made up of approximately 1000 genetically unique organisms (phylotypes ) [1]. The bacteria present in the intestine make an important contribution to: metabolism executed in the gut [2] health, in diverse activites from pain perception [3] to cognitive function [4]. There is an increasing body of evidence linking alterations in the human gut microbiota with Inflammatory Bowel Disease [5, 6] and Irritable Bowel Syndrome [7]. The changing pattern of the gut microbiota in elderly subjects [8, 9] may be linked to host changes such as immunosenescence, increased susceptibility to disease and potentially systemic effects. The composition of the intestinal microbiota may be modulated by dietary components including prebiotics [10]. ELDERMET will determine the baseline composition of the gut microbiota of several hundred elderly Irish subjects using a combination of traditional culutre and molecular (culture-independent) methodologies. ELDERMET will explore potential correlations between microbiota composition and a range of health indices; cross-referencing data to dietary intake. Data will be analyzed in the context of the related FHRI projects in Nutrigenomics, Food Consumption, Food Safety, and Diet-Health. ELDERMET will provide recommendations to all stakeholders (including health practitioners and the health service, the food industry and the general public) on how to improve health based on defined modifications to dietary intake. Sponsor. This work is supported by the Goverment of Ireland Department of Agriculture Fisheries and Food/Health Research Board Food for Health Research Initiative award to the ELDERMET project as well as by a Science Foundation Ireland award to the Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre. M.J.C. is now funded by a fellowship from the Health Research Board of Ireland.

Synonyms: ELDERMET

Resource Type: data or information resource, portal, topical portal