The Intersection of the Intestinal Microbiome with Clinical Epinutrigenomics

A revolution in disease prevention and reversal

Should premature aging be called a disease? Believe it or not, the question of how to clinically classify aging emerged more than a decade ago. There are many points of view to consider, and it’s a discussion that has been fueled by recent advances in our understanding of the epigenetic and molecular mechanisms involved in biological aging at the cellular, tissue, and organ-specific levels.

We now know that the processes associated with biological aging are connected to age-related chronic diseases, but they are not genetically hard-wired and deterministic. In fact, these processes can be altered through interventions that target specific cellular communication hubs that regulate accelerating biological aging and the pathophenotypes we associate with that phenomenon.

The intervention targets are now being recognized to reside at the critical control points that regulate the epigenetic modulation of immune cell function and its interrelationship with the composition and function of the intestinal microbiome.

From a systems biology perspective, this represents the most upstream point of control of downstream physiological function. It has become clear that the intersection of the regulation of epigenetic control of the immune system with the signals derived from the intestinal microbiome, environment, diet, and lifestyle determine downstream events that regulate the cellular biological aging processes and ultimate health and disease outcomes.

This is the first conference that focuses on the clinical interaction among lifestyle, dietary, and environmental factors influencing the intestinal microbiome and its interaction with the epigenomic regulation of cellular function, emphasizing immunity.

The world-renown faculty for this conference is composed of pioneers and leaders in the development of the fields of discovery covering the microbiome, environmental epigenetics, functional immunology, biological aging, and the role of lifestyle, diet, and specific nutrients in managing clinical conditions associated with chronic immune-related issues.

The clinical objective of this Tenth Annual Thought Leaders Consortium is to provide insights as to the variety of points of potential intervention with personalized lifestyle medicine for remediation of dysfunction that occurs as a consequence of altered communication among the intestinal microbiome, epigenome, and immune and cellular mechanisms that influence senescence and accelerated biological age.

Dr. Jeffrey Bland, PLMI President and host of our annual event and the father of “nutritional epigenomics,” Dr. Randy Jirtle, will introduce and elucidate a clinical concept that may transform patient care in the next decade: the imprintome. Discoveries reveal that the personal imprintome can regulate multiple cellular processes that are associated with how each of us biologically ages. A better understanding of the role of imprintome and its relationship to the function of the intestinal microbiome in upstream regulation and downstream cellular activities represents an exciting new clinical gateway for the management of accelerated aging at its root source. This model can be applied to the management of alterations in immune system function, neurological and endocrine dysfunctions, and conditions related to pulmonary and cardiometabolic functions, all of which are related to the emerging concerns in the post-COVID period.

The Thought Leaders Consortium will feature an expert faculty that is balanced between leading research discoveries and clinical care. As in the previous nine years, this tenth Thought Leaders Consortium will be a dynamic forum for unique interactions and a convergence of ideas among our presenters, attendees, and the conference sponsors.

The World Congress agenda will celebrate 30 years of medical education innovation and deliver the latest knowledge tailored to the modern medical practice and practitioner. That’s not all – the conference schedule will feature a wide range of exciting complementary activities, learning opportunities, and networking events.

As we seek to further extend longevity, how can we simultaneously help patients live longer and delay age-related health issues?

To explore this key question, the World Congress will bring together physicians, researchers and scientists from a variety of fields including genetics, biology of aging, endocrinology, clinical psychology, physiology, and more.