The Aged Gut Microbiome Generates Extracellular Vesicles that Harm Tissue Function (opens in new tab)

The gut microbiome is made of thousands of microbial species, many of which conduct activities necessary to health. Our tissues have evolved to at least somewhat rely upon the molecules produced by many of these species as they process the food we eat. Unwanted species are also present, generating harmful products that trigger inflammation and tissue dysfunction. With age, the size of harmful microbial populations increase at the expense of the size of helpful microbial populations. Our healt...