A study found an association between high levels of Akkermansia muciniphila in the gut and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
"There was one study that suggested that high Akkermansia was associated with ALS." (said at 0:47:15)
Published evidence on the gut microbiome in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) demonstrates the inverse relationship: Akkermansia muciniphila is depleted in patients with ALS and has been shown to be protective, not associated with disease promotion or elevated levels. A landmark 2019 study in Nature showed that Akkermansia muciniphila ameliorated ALS symptoms and extended survival in transgenic ALS mouse models via nicotinamide production, while human ALS cohorts exhibited reduced abundance of beneficial commensals like Akkermansia. Although elevated Akkermansia has been reported in other neurodegenerative conditions (such as Parkinson's disease and multiple sclerosis), published ALS studies identify low, not high, Akkermansia abundance.
- contradicts: Potential roles of gut microbiome and metabolites in modulating ALS in mice. (Nature 2019)
"by their individual supplementation into antibiotic-treated Sod1-Tg mice we demonstrate that Akkermansia muciniphila (AM) ameliorates whereas Ruminococcus torques and Parabacteroides distasonis exacerbate the symptoms of ALS. Furthermore, Sod1-Tg mice that are administered AM are found to accumulate AM-associated nicotinamide in the central nervous system, and systemic supplementation of nicotinamide improves motor symptoms and gene expression patterns in the spinal cord of Sod1-Tg mice." (abstract, results, passage verified)
pubmedfull study (doi) - contradicts: Integrated multi-omics analysis reveals gut dysbiosis and altered energy metabolism in Chi… (Microbiology spectrum 2026)
"The ALS microbiome was characterized by a significant depletion of beneficial anti-inflammatory genera, specifically Akkermansia and Faecalibacterium, and an expansion of opportunistic pathogens such as Escherichia and oral-associated taxa (e.g., Streptococcus)." (abstract, results)
pubmedfull study (doi)