Characterisation of the Virome of the Healthy Ageing Human Gut: A Key to Preventing Dysbiosis?

Poster Abstract:  Raphael Hans Lwesya, PGR, Quadram Institute

Abstract

Background: Bacteriophages are key regulators of bacterial populations across ecosystems, including the human gut, where microbial balance is critical for health. Ageing, particularly beyond 60 years, is associated with increased vulnerability to gut dysbiosis–related diseases; however, the role of the gut virome in this process remains poorly understood. This study investigated the faecal viral profiles of 274 healthy older adults (≥60 years) enrolled in the MOTION study to characterise age-related virome dynamics. Preliminary analyses show a strong concordance between viral and bacterial community structures, supported by Procrustes testing (t0 = 0.909, p = 0.001). Cohabitation also significantly shaped virome composition compared with unrelated individuals, although interpersonal viral uniqueness remained evident, with cohabiting pairs sharing only a subset of their viral populations. Across the cohort, viral species richness declined with increasing age (Estimate = −3.79, SE = 1.45, t = −2.62, R² = 0.05, p = 0.010). Notably, an age-associated enrichment of a phage predicted to infect Faecalibacterium (FDR = 4.6, Coefficient = 1.75) in the older subset of participants was observed. 

Conclusions: This work lays the foundation for deeper exploration of what is normal phage-host interactions in healthy ageing and highlights the potential for phage-based or virome-informed therapeutic strategies to mitigate gut dysbiosis in older adults.