["Microbiological aging" by Mechnikov. How to interpret these ideas today?]

I.I. Mechnikov's hypothesis that the key to prolongation of life lies in the introduction of useful microflora to the gut was not proved. Any microflora needs nutrition and perceives the human body only as a nutrient substrate. Destruction of the basement membranes, that delimit the contacting with aggressive microbiological environment epithelium from the deeper parts of the body, can lead to chronic inflammatory diseases and aging of the skin as a consequence of the invasion of microorganisms. At the ultrastructural level it has been shown by the example of prostatitis and skin aging changes. Coupled with the penetration of germs flow of immune cells may cause autoimmune reactions due to abrupt changes in the molecular design of the intermembrane transport. Thus, the physiological process of macroorganism aging can be viewed as a consequence of its microbiological destruction.