What we did:
We re-analyzed a publicly available 16s dataset of fecal samples from Alzheimer’s Disease patients and age-sex matched controls using updated bioinformatics tools and methods. We found no trend in gut microbial composition with increasing age, between sexes nor between AD patients and healthy controls. Additionally, we found that ASVs in the phylum Actinomycetota (previously named Actinobacteria) were more differentially abundant in healthy controls, contradicting the original report. This emphasizes the important role that re-analyzing older data plays in verifying results of microbiome studies, as tools and databases are constantly improved.
How you can help:
Our analysis was limited to the phylum level. Analysis at finer levels of taxonomic resolution could reveal more about the Alzheimer’s disease state.