Microbes and healthful longevity
Name
Erdman_Microbes and healthful.pdf
Size
413.07 KB
Format
Adobe PDF
Checksum (MD5)
5047ad187542a01c48efa09db21334f6
Author(s)
Erdman, Susan E.
Date Issued
May 2016
Journal
Aging
Publisher
Impact Journals, LLC
Citation
Erdman, Susan. “Microbes and Healthful Longevity.” Aging 8, no. 5 (May 24, 2016): 839–840. © 2016 Impact Journals, LLC.
Version
Final published version
Abstract
The popularity of hand sanitizer and antibiotics shows how we feel about bacteria: an enemy that’s bad for our health. Emerging data, however, suggest just the opposite - that exposures to certain kinds of bacteria are beneficial for a long and healthy life, at least in part by inhibiting a wasting syndrome termed cachexia [1]. Cachexia, a condition defined as muscle wasting associated with chronic disease, arises during cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) with debilitating consequences resulting in premature death and creating a major public health burden. A growing body of research involving the host immune system reveals great potential for commensal bacteria to treat diseases and improve quality of life in animal hosts [2].
MIT Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Division of Comparative Medicine
Terms of Use
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
Persistent DSpace Link
DOI of Published Version
https://doi.org/10.18632/aging.100969
