Assessment of the potential of probiotics to impact upon dementia onset and progression

Thomas, Sophie Elizabeth 2022. Assessment of the potential of probiotics to impact upon dementia onset and progression. MPhil Thesis, Cardiff University. Item availability restricted.

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Abstract

Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is a major neurodegenerative condition affecting over 44 million people worldwide. Cases are projected to continue rising due to the increase in life expectancy of the global population. Current treatments that are available are not very effective and are often targeted at treating symptoms rather than preventing initial disease onset and progression. Therefore, finding an alternative therapeutic strategy to ease the socio-economic burden of the disease is vital. Gut function is critical for maintaining our overall health. The intestines contain trillions of bacteria that exist in a well-balanced ratio. Any upset of this ratio due to poor diet or stress can result in dysbiosis which has been closely linked to AD. Dysbiosis may result in the induction of the inflammatory response and the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines. This increase in systemic inflammation has also been shown to contribute to the onset and severity of AD. In order to counteract dysbiosis, probiotics may be used as a means of replenishing the microbiome to give rise to a more desirable gut environment, which in turn may improve inflammatory status and potentially slow the progression of AD. Previous work has suggested that bacterial based probiotics are beneficial to the 3xTg AD mouse model by showing improved neuronal cell survival, behaviour and inflammation status after supplementation. Based on these findings, this thesis aims to assess the impact of the Lab4 consortia of probiotics on key immune cells in the brain, known as microglia, in order to investigate the mechanisms behind these previous beneficial results and to determine if probiotics have the potential to impact upon microglial function using in vitro and in vivo techniques.

Item Type:	Thesis (MPhil)
Date Type:	Completion
Status:	Unpublished
Schools:	Medicine
Last Modified:	05 May 2023 01:30
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/149555

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