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Gut microbiota development across the lifespan : Disease links and health-promoting interventions

Schoultz, Ida ; Claesson, Marcus J. ; Dominguez-Bello, Maria Gloria ; Fåk Hållenius, Frida LU orcid ; Konturek, Peter ; Korpela, Katri ; Laursen, Martin Frederik ; Penders, John ; Roager, H. and Vatanen, Tommi , et al. (2025) In Journal of Internal Medicine 297(6). p.560-583
Abstract

The gut microbiota plays a pivotal role in human life and undergoes dynamic changes throughout the human lifespan, from infancy to old age. During our life, the gut microbiota influences health and disease across life stages. This review summarizes the discussions and presentations from the symposium “Gut microbiota development from infancy to old age” held in collaboration with the Journal of Internal Medicine. In early infancy, microbial colonization is shaped by factors such as mode of delivery, antibiotic exposure, and milk-feeding practices, laying the foundation for subsequent increased microbial diversity and maturation. Throughout childhood and adolescence, microbial maturation continues, influencing immune development and... (More)

The gut microbiota plays a pivotal role in human life and undergoes dynamic changes throughout the human lifespan, from infancy to old age. During our life, the gut microbiota influences health and disease across life stages. This review summarizes the discussions and presentations from the symposium “Gut microbiota development from infancy to old age” held in collaboration with the Journal of Internal Medicine. In early infancy, microbial colonization is shaped by factors such as mode of delivery, antibiotic exposure, and milk-feeding practices, laying the foundation for subsequent increased microbial diversity and maturation. Throughout childhood and adolescence, microbial maturation continues, influencing immune development and metabolic health. In adulthood, the gut microbiota reaches a relatively stable state, influenced by genetics, diet, and lifestyle. Notably, disruptions in gut microbiota composition have been implicated in various inflammatory diseases—including inflammatory bowel disease, Type 1 diabetes, and allergies. Furthermore, emerging evidence suggests a connection between gut dysbiosis and neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease. Understanding the role of the gut microbiota in disease pathogenesis across life stages provides insights into potential therapeutic interventions. Probiotics, prebiotics, and dietary modifications, as well as fecal microbiota transplantation, are being explored as promising strategies to promote a healthy gut microbiota and mitigate disease risks. This review focuses on the gut microbiota's role in infancy, adulthood, and aging, addressing its development, stability, and alterations linked to health and disease across these critical life stages. It outlines future research directions aimed at optimizing the gut microbiota composition to improve health.

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organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
adulthood, aging, gut microbiota, infancy, inflammatory diseases, intervention
in
Journal of Internal Medicine
volume
297
issue
6
pages
24 pages
publisher
Wiley-Blackwell
external identifiers
  • scopus:105003810459
  • pmid:40270478
ISSN
0954-6820
DOI
10.1111/joim.20089
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
ab49a97a-c699-4389-92e6-85fb1a4a092e
date added to LUP
2025-08-01 12:11:05
date last changed
2025-08-15 13:27:28
@article{ab49a97a-c699-4389-92e6-85fb1a4a092e,
  abstract     = {{<p>The gut microbiota plays a pivotal role in human life and undergoes dynamic changes throughout the human lifespan, from infancy to old age. During our life, the gut microbiota influences health and disease across life stages. This review summarizes the discussions and presentations from the symposium “Gut microbiota development from infancy to old age” held in collaboration with the Journal of Internal Medicine. In early infancy, microbial colonization is shaped by factors such as mode of delivery, antibiotic exposure, and milk-feeding practices, laying the foundation for subsequent increased microbial diversity and maturation. Throughout childhood and adolescence, microbial maturation continues, influencing immune development and metabolic health. In adulthood, the gut microbiota reaches a relatively stable state, influenced by genetics, diet, and lifestyle. Notably, disruptions in gut microbiota composition have been implicated in various inflammatory diseases—including inflammatory bowel disease, Type 1 diabetes, and allergies. Furthermore, emerging evidence suggests a connection between gut dysbiosis and neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease. Understanding the role of the gut microbiota in disease pathogenesis across life stages provides insights into potential therapeutic interventions. Probiotics, prebiotics, and dietary modifications, as well as fecal microbiota transplantation, are being explored as promising strategies to promote a healthy gut microbiota and mitigate disease risks. This review focuses on the gut microbiota's role in infancy, adulthood, and aging, addressing its development, stability, and alterations linked to health and disease across these critical life stages. It outlines future research directions aimed at optimizing the gut microbiota composition to improve health.</p>}},
  author       = {{Schoultz, Ida and Claesson, Marcus J. and Dominguez-Bello, Maria Gloria and Fåk Hållenius, Frida and Konturek, Peter and Korpela, Katri and Laursen, Martin Frederik and Penders, John and Roager, H. and Vatanen, Tommi and Öhman, Lena and Jenmalm, Maria C.}},
  issn         = {{0954-6820}},
  keywords     = {{adulthood; aging; gut microbiota; infancy; inflammatory diseases; intervention}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{6}},
  pages        = {{560--583}},
  publisher    = {{Wiley-Blackwell}},
  series       = {{Journal of Internal Medicine}},
  title        = {{Gut microbiota development across the lifespan : Disease links and health-promoting interventions}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/joim.20089}},
  doi          = {{10.1111/joim.20089}},
  volume       = {{297}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}