Microbes and healthful longevity

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].