Indian-origin researcher develops probiotic cocktail to prevent dementia

New Delhi: An Indian-origin researcher, Dr. Hariom Yadav, director of the USF Health Center for Microbiome Research and associate professor at the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, is exploring a new approach to support brain health—through the gut.

Dr. Yadav and his team have developed a probiotic “cocktail” that may help reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. Published in Nature Scientific Reports in January, the study found the blend of multiple beneficial bacteria improved memory in mice and reduced key markers of Alzheimer’s, including plaque buildup, inflammation, and blood-brain barrier damage.

“We actually developed this cocktail a few years back,” Dr. Yadav said. “Normally, people look at some single-strain probiotics. But we discovered that when they are put together as a consortiumIndian-origin researcher develops probiotic cocktail to prevent dementia, they actually have more power for manipulating microbiomes, switching them from the bad side to the good side.”

The study highlights a connection between “leaky gut” and brain inflammation. Harmful microorganisms escaping the intestines may trigger immune reactions that reach the brain.

“Think about this: not everything we eat enters our blood — only selected nutrients get absorbed in our gut and enter the blood circulation,” Dr. Yadav explained. “But what happens with leaky gut is that many ingredients not supposed to enter our blood start going in, and our immune cells react to them... These inflammatory immune cells are like that. They go everywhere and actually enter the brain, where they are not supposed to go.”

As inflammation rises, the blood-brain barrier weakens, allowing harmful substances to reach the brain and potentially cause dementia.

The probiotic mix, Dr. Yadav says, helps suppress these inflammatory bacteria. His team is now exploring commercialization and future clinical trials.

“We’re still at the stage of whether we want to have our own start-up to license the technology, but first we need to have a clinical trial done,” he said. “We want to be sure of its clinical efficacy, but we are optimistic about that.”

Dr. Santosh K. Prajapati, first author of the study, added:

“Ultimately, our goal is to develop a safe, simple, effective, and adherent probiotics formulation that can be implemented in our daily dietary habits to slow and/or prevent neurodegenerative conditions.”

Other contributors include Shalini Jain, Shaohua Wang, and Sidharth P. Mishra.