Through the Looking Glass: Aging, Inflammation, and Gut Rejuvenation

Eyes can gaze at themselves in a mirror and see the only visible part of the brain looking back. The brain can contemplate this concept and enter a surrealistic thought loop—an intellectual infinity mirror of the mind reflecting endlessly on itself. During central nervous system (CNS) development, the optic nerve and retina grow from outpouchings of the primitive brain¹ and share functional features with the brain, including similar responses to inflammation and bidirectional communication with the gut.^2,3,4 Patients with intestinal disorders such as inflammatory bowel disease are at higher risk of developing inflammatory eye disorders,^5,6 and neurodegenerative brain disorders, such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease, tend to exhibit early symptoms in the gut and eye.^7,8,9,10

Aging increases susceptibility to chronic disease and organ dysfunction. Researchers are discovering connections between the aging gut microbiota and chronic, low-grade inflammation in other organ systems throughout the body—known as inflammaging. In a recent study ...