Gut microbiota is established during birth and evolves with age, mostly maintaining the commensal relationship with the host.\nA growing body of clinical evidence suggests an intricate relationship between the gut microbiota and the immune system. With\nageing, the gut microbiota develops significant imbalances in themajor phyla such as the anaerobic Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes as\nwell as a diverse range of facultative organisms, resulting in impaired immune responses. Antimicrobial therapy is commonly used\nfor the treatment of infections; however, this may also result in the loss of normal gut flora. Advanced age, antibiotic use, underlying\ndiseases, infections, hormonal differences, circadian rhythm, and malnutrition, either alone or in combination, contribute to the\nproblem. This nonbeneficial gastrointestinal modulation may be reversed by judicious and controlled use of antibiotics and the\nappropriate use of prebiotics and probiotics. In certain persistent, recurrent settings, the option of faecal microbiota transplantation\ncan be explored. The aim of the current review is to focus on the establishment and alteration of gut microbiota, with ageing. The\nreview also discusses the potential role of gut microbiota in regulating the immune system, together with its function in healthy\nand diseased state.
Loading....