Gut Microbiome Compositional and Functional Features Associate with Alzheimer's Disease Pathology

Area of Science:

• Microbiome research
• Neurodegenerative disease
• Alzheimer's disease pathology

Background:

• The gut microbiome's role in Alzheimer's disease (AD) is increasingly recognized but not fully understood.
• Limited knowledge exists regarding specific microbial compositions and functions associated with AD pathology.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the gut microbiome's composition and function in individuals with Alzheimer's disease.
• To identify associations between gut microbial features and established biomarkers of AD and related pathologies.

Main Methods:

• Shallow-shotgun metagenomic sequencing of fecal samples from the Wisconsin Microbiome in Alzheimer's Risk Study.
• Analysis of differential abundance and regression to link gut microbiome features with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers.

Main Results:

• Significant differences in gut microbiome composition and function were observed between AD patients and cognitively unimpaired individuals.
• These compositional differences were validated in an independent cohort.
• Specific gut microbial features were found to be significantly associated with CSF biomarkers of AD and related pathologies.

Conclusions:

• Gut microbial alterations are evident in Alzheimer's disease.
• The gut microbiome and its metabolic pathways are demonstrably linked to the pathological processes of AD.