Obesity and dementia are two main conditions affecting adults and older Australians.
1 in 2 people in Australia adults are overweight or obese, and one person every three seconds is diagnosed with dementia. While treatments exist, there has been little progress to slow or stop the increase of diagnosis of both conditions.
In obesity and dementia, we know there is an imbalance in the microorganisms in our gut and other body areas. This is known as dysbiosis. There is the potential to improve health by altering these microorganisms using novel therapies such as Faecal Microbiome Transplantation (FMT).
This research will use state-of-the-art multi-omics to identify the microorganisms present in both conditions and what chemicals they produce to create a "signature" for both conditions.
Using a "signature for health," created from our Healthy Optimal Australian Microbiome Study and these disease signatures, Dr Xiaotao Jiang will develop a platform that will aid us in selecting the most suitable stool donors for FMT.
Working with our collaborators Lifeblood (Australian Red Cross), we will develop an FMT product for each condition suitable for clinical trials.
How you can help
We are still seeking people to help us develop the signatures for dementia and obesity.
You can learn more about participating here: Healthy Optimal Australian Microbiome Study
Read about the grant on the NSW Health Website