Can Your Gut Predict Alzheimer's?

Nov 6, 2023

Gautam Dantas, researcher specializing in microbiogenomics, discusses his new research on the gut microbiome and Alzheimer's disease. They explore the potential for early diagnosis, therapeutic intervention, and the challenges of clinical trials. The role of gut microbes and the gut-brain connection is highlighted, along with opportunities for individuals to contribute to Alzheimer's studies. They also discuss diverse perspectives in storytelling.

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Introduction

00:00 • 4min

Work, Parenting, and Reflecting on Impact

03:59 • 9min

The Gut-Brain Axis and Alzheimer's Disease

13:23 • 18min

The Gut Microbiome and Alzheimer's Disease

31:34 • 27min

Opportunities to Get Involved in Alzheimer's Disease Studies

58:28 • 2min

Exploring Diverse Perspectives in Storytelling

01:00:04 • 9min

Discussing Progress, Disproving Hypotheses, and Appreciating a Well-Informed Conversation

01:08:51 • 2min

Can your gut composition predict Alzheimer's?

That's today's big question and my returning guest is Gautam Dantas.

Gautam heads up the Dantas Lab at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. His lab works at the interface of microbiogenomics, ecology, synthetic biology, and systems biology to understand, harness, and engineer the biochemical processing potential of microbial communities.

Since our last conversation, Gautam was named a fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology for his studies of microbial communities and antibiotic resistance. I wanted to have him back on the show, not just because Gautam is one of my favorite guests of all time, and not just because of this new study we're going to really dig into, but because you have probably been affected by Alzheimer's in some way.

Alzheimer's is growing more prevalent throughout the world every day as the U. S., China, and so many other countries get old.

We've asked so many questions about dementia, Alzheimer's, and other brain diseases and found so few answers that are repeatable and can either prevent or just slow this disease in some way.

And that's what makes me so excited about Gautam's new research, however preliminary it might be. We get to keep doing it.

We get to keep asking these important questions that can help people.

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INI Book Club:

The Three Body Problem by Cixin Liu
Find all of our guest recommendations at the INI Book Club: https://bookshop.org/lists/important-not-important-book-club

Links:

Read Gautum's study on the gut microbiome and Alzheimer's
Keep up with the Dantas Lab
Listen to our first episode with Gautam
Volunteer for research at the Knight Alzheimer Disease Research Center at Washington University
Find more research opportunities and clinical trials near you

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Edited by Anthony Luciani
Produced by Willow Beck
Intro/outro by Tim Blane: timblane.com

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