Spinal cord injury can reshape gut microbes that influence whole-body health
Scientists exploring the links between a spinal cord injury, inflammation and immune function have turned their attention to a genome-level analysis of the gut microbial community, with early study results offering hints at potential new approaches to aid healing.
Scientists are investigating the connections between spinal cord injuries, inflammation, immune function, and gut microbes. In mice, replenishing a depleted strain of bacteria after spinal cord injury (SCI) reduced inflammation and halted weight loss. Another study identified 19 microbial species in the mouse gut that strongly correlate with the body's loss of nitrogen after SCI, which is linked to muscle wasting in humans.
The Ohio State University research team aims to expand knowledge on the gut's role in injury complications and potential protective functions when the central nervous system is compromised. Dr. Phillip Popovich, co-senior author, emphasizes that spinal cord injury affects the entire body, not just the spinal cord, due to the extensive communication between the brain and the gut.
The research, published in npj Biofilms and Microbiomes and Communications Biology, uses a genome-level analysis of the gut microbial community to uncover potential new healing approaches. The study involved comparing gut microbiomes in three groups of male and female mice over six months, with two groups having spinal cord injuries and one group with undamaged spinal cords.
The analysis revealed specific bacterial populations and their interactions, highlighting the importance of microbial crosstalk in developing interventions for restoring normal gut activity and overall health in spinal cord injury patients.
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