The gastrointestinal tract does more than digest food and absorb nutrients. It is the body’s largest immune organ and harbors an extensive microbial ecosystem. Here is a brief refresher on the intestinal immune system.

Explore the interplay between diet and the gut-associated immune system. From providing essential nutrients to modulating immune function, dietary interventions offer opportunities to optimize immune health and reduce immune-related disorders.

Learn how the relationship between the gastrointestinal tract and the kidneys, known as the gut-kidney axis, is relevant to a discussion of constipation and chronic kidney disease in cats.

Normal immune and inflammatory responses are influenced by many factors, including aging and nutrition. Learn how specific nutrients can modify inflammatory and cell-mediated immune responses.

Expand your knowledge on how nutrition can be leveraged to modify inflammation and immunity.

An overview of maladaptive mitochondrial cholesterol handling and trafficking associated with ageing and age-related diseases such as canine mammary cancer. 

Microbiome-based therapies, which offer a range of health benefits, are attracting interest as a target for anti-immune ageing therapies. 

Speakers at the 2023 Companion Animal Nutrition Summit answer questions and discuss topics related to Immunosenescence: The Impact of Age on Immune Function. 

An introduction to the links between diet and immune function and the evidence for using diet in the prevention or management of health conditions. 

The impact of age-related changes on the thymus and immune function and the link between the aging thymus and longevity.

Speakers from the Mitochondria and the Metabolic Determinants of Aging and Longevity section of the  2023 Companion Animal Nutrition Summit answer questions related to their presentations. 

An overview of how age-related changes in the human immune system can add to the understanding of companion animal aging and immune function.