Research

Thesis title: "Intestinal barrier function in age-dependent gut-brain interaction: pharmacological interventions with metformin."

Thesis outline: The number of aged people is steadily increasing around the world. This increase is accompanied by age-dependent degenerative changes such as cognitive dysfunction. In addition, intestinal homeostasis is thought to be critical in cognitive decline in the elderly.
The project aims to understand if targeting cognitive dysfunction with pharmaceuticals like metformin protects model organisms from aging-associated cognitive decline and if this is related to protection against changes in intestinal microbiota and barrier dysfunction. Model organisms, such as mice and C.elegans, will be given metformin via different routes of administration. Cognitive tests will be performed, markers of intestinal barrier function, inflammation, and cognitive function parameters as well as intestinal microbiota composition will be assessed. Moreover, in vitro experiments will be done to test the effectiveness of metformin on intestinal barrier function and to elucidate its underlying molecular mechanisms.

Supervisor: Ina Bergheim, Advisors: Jose Manuel Fernandez-Real, Dominic O'Neil

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