Microbiota-Derived OMVs: A Novel Mechanism in Brain Function and Alzheimer’s Disease

Prof. Roosmarijn Vandenbroucke is a Group Leader at the VIB Center for Inflammation Research (IRC). Her research focuses on the impact of systemic inflammation, such as sepsis, SIRS, inflammaging, and neuroinflammatory stimuli, on the blood–cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) barrier.

In her presentation, Prof. Vandenbroucke will explore the emerging role of gut microbiota and their extracellular vesicles in the development and progression of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). She will show how outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) derived from the pathogenic bacterium Helicobacter pylori can cross the blood-brain barrier, activate glial cells via the C3-C3aR signaling pathway, and exacerbate AD-related neurodegeneration. Additionally, she will present recent findings demonstrating that commensal gut microbiota significantly influence amyloid-β pathology and neuroinflammation. This was shown using germ-free AD mouse models and the administration of bacterial vesicles. Together, these findings uncover a novel microbiota-brain communication pathway with important implications for understanding and potentially treating AD.