Microbiome's Role in Neurodegeneration Wins Prestigious Prize
The gut microbiome's influence on human health, particularly brain health, has been acknowledged with the prestigious NOSTER & Science Microbiome Prize. This year's winner, Eran Blacher, has made significant strides in understanding the microbiome's role in neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's and ALS.
Blacher's prize-winning essay, 'In search of the missing link between microbiome, metabolites and neurodegeneration', will be published in Science. His research in mice revealed that changes in the microbiome and its metabolites can precede clinical ALS symptoms. This groundbreaking work suggests a potential new avenue for treating neurodegenerative diseases.
Blacher's findings align with those of previous winner Prof. Dr. Jens Walter, who discovered that probiotic treatment with Akkermansia muciniphila or its associated metabolite, nicotinamide, can improve ALS symptoms in mice. Similar changes in microbiome composition and function were observed in ALS patients, linked to reduced nicotinamide levels.
The NOSTER & Science Microbiome Prize, which awards $25,000 and publication in Science, aims to encourage young scientists to explore microbiome-based therapeutic drugs. Blacher's work underscores the potential of this field in transforming our understanding and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.
