A geroprotective probiotic and its functional metabolite counteract inflammaging to extend healthspan

Xiaoyong Lu and colleagues profiled gut microbiome remodeling across multiple Chinese cohorts and built a microbiome-based aging clock called MicroAge. Bifidobacterium pseudocatenulatum declined with age in both sexes. The team then gave the bacterium orally to naturally aged mice. Treatment improved intestinal homeostasis, reduced inflammatory signals across organs, and improved cognitive-motor performance. It also extended healthspan in the mouse experiments. The proposed active metabolite was 5-aminovaleric acid betaine, or 5-AVAB. Its levels declined with age in human samples. Giving 5-AVAB to aged mice reproduced part of the bacterial treatment effect, including better cognitive and motor performance and lower multiorgan inflammation. The human component is observational. The intervention data are preclinical. The paper does not show that a probiotic or 5-AVAB extends human lifespan, nor does it establish a safe human dose. The results support a testable microbiome-metabolite pathway rather than a clinical recommendation.

Our findings identify the B. pseudocatenulatum-5-AVAB axis as a promising target for microbiome-based interventions to promote healthy aging.