Open access · OA
via Europe PMC
The Gut-Immune-Brain Axis in Aging: Integrating Immunosenescence, Inflammaging, and Neuroinflammation for Precision Medicine.
Bajić D, Vučković J, Pupovac N, Slavić D, Stojšić M, Hodoba N, Todorović N, Plazačić M, Milošević N.
Medical sciences (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026
Dysbiosis
Cellular senescence
Altered intercellular communication
Chronic inflammation
Human
Systematic review
Review
Abstract
<b>Background:</b> Population aging is accompanied by progressive immune remodeling, chronic low-grade inflammation, and increased susceptibility to neurodegenerative diseases. Although the microbiota-gut-brain axis is increasingly recognized as a regulator of neuroimmune homeostasis, mechanisms linking age-associated dysbiosis with immunosenescence, barrier dysfunction, and brain aging remain incompletely understood. This review integrates current evidence into the proposed Gut-Immune-Brain Resilience Axis (GIBRA), a systems-level model describing how microbial signaling shapes neuroimmune resilience during aging. <b>Methods:</b> A structured narrative review was conducted using PubMed and the Web of Science Core Collection from database inception up to July 2026. Evidence from systematic reviews, meta-analyses, consensus statements, mechanistic and translational studies, longitudinal cohorts, randomized clinical trials, and observational studies was synthesized. <b>Results:</b> Current evidence supports an important role for the disruption of microbial functional signaling in neuroimmune aging, while microbial taxonomy and functional profiles provide complementary levels of biological information. Reduced short-chain fatty acid production, dysregulated tryptophan metabolism, microbial translocation, endotoxin-mediated innate immune activation, and gut-conditioned adaptive immune responses promote immunosenescence, inflammaging(definition), barrier dysfunction, and microglial priming. The proposed Double-Barrier Hypothesis links intestinal and blood-brain barrier dysfunction as complementary mechanisms underlying chronic neuroinflammation. GIBRA highlights functional microbiome endotypes, biomarkers, multi-omics, and artificial intelligence as emerging tools for precision medicine. <b>Conclusions:</b> GIBRA provides an integrated systems biology perspective connecting microbial signaling, immune resilience, barrier integrity, and brain resilience during aging. Prioritizing functional resilience over microbial taxonomy may improve biomarker discovery, patient stratification, and microbiome-targeted interventions for neurodegenerative disease prevention. Prospective longitudinal studies integrating multi-omics are needed to support clinical translation.
◌ CITATION ONLY
Full text is not openly licensed for redistribution here. Read it at the source:
Provenance
- Source
- Europe PMC
- DOI
- 10.3390/medsci14050536
- Canonical
- link ↗
- Fetched
- 2026-10-07 MST
Cite this
APA
D, B., J, V., N, P., D, S., M, S., N, H., N, T., M, P., & N., M. (2026). The Gut-Immune-Brain Axis in Aging: Integrating Immunosenescence, Inflammaging, and Neuroinflammation for Precision Medicine. <em>Medical sciences (Basel, Switzerland)</em>. https://doi.org/10.3390/medsci14050536
Vancouver
D B, J V, N P, D S, M S, N H, et al. The Gut-Immune-Brain Axis in Aging: Integrating Immunosenescence, Inflammaging, and Neuroinflammation for Precision Medicine. Medical sciences (Basel, Switzerland). 2026. doi:10.3390/medsci14050536.
BibTeX
@article{baji2026TheGut,
title = {The Gut-Immune-Brain Axis in Aging: Integrating Immunosenescence, Inflammaging, and Neuroinflammation for Precision Medicine.},
author = {Bajić D and Vučković J and Pupovac N and Slavić D and Stojšić M and Hodoba N and Todorović N and Plazačić M and Milošević N.},
journal = {Medical sciences (Basel, Switzerland)},
year = {2026},
doi = {10.3390/medsci14050536},
}
Research neighborhood
References, citing works, and semantically nearest findings. Click a node to open it.
Related findings
Frontiers in molecular neuroscience 2026
Open access · OA
Aging, the microbiota-gut-brain axis, and late-life epilepsy: a hypothesis-driven review.
Molecular neurobiology 2026
Citation only
A Comprehensive Review on the Microbial Signatures and Metabolic Mechanisms Underlying the Gut-Alzheimer's Disease Axis.
Nutrients 2026
Citation only
Gut Microbiome-Mediated Neuroprotective Effect of the Mediterranean Diet: A Narrative Review of Cognitive Aging, Alzheimer's Disease, and Parkinson's Disease.
Neuroscience and biobehavioral reviews 2026
Citation only
From gut microbiome to aging brain: Butyrate as a neurogeroscience effector.
Journal of clinical medicine 2026
Open access · OA
The Gut-Eye Axis and Microbiome in Ophthalmic Diseases: A Narrative Review.
Microbes & Immunity 2026
Open access · CC-BY