Microbiota 16 - October 2022
Dear readers,
Gut brain axis. If you are a regular reader of Microbiota Magazine, you know that research is gradually revealing the bidirectional system of communication between the gut microbiome and the brain. You also have read that this gut-brain communication is key to better understand how gut microbiota is associated with some diseases development. Let’s use the example of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Even if the pathophysiology of IBS is not fully understood, it is considered as a bidirectional altered communication between the digestive tract and the central nervous system (Overview, Microbiota 13). There is another example with complex neurodevelopmental disorders: autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Once again, the pathophysiological mechanisms behind are still poorly understood but some consistent findings suggest robust interactions between gut microbiota and the brain (Overview, Microbiota 15).
In this issue, Pr. Sian Joanna Hemmings describes another example of this crucial bidirectional communication. She reviews current literature on the microbiome-gut-brain axis, and how this bidirectional system of communication may play a role in the etiology of stress-related disorders as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety disorders and major depressive disorder (MDD). According to the author, “evidence to suggest that the gut microbiome is altered in stress-related disorders continues to grow, delineating a specific gut microbial profile associated with the development of stress-related disorders. This specific gut microbial profile may facilitate identification of reliable biomarkers of disease-associated risk and predict predisposition to develop these disorders.”
Gut-brain axis communication, but also interaction and association, this triptych is Microbiota Magazine 16’s guiding thread. Whether it is the association between IBD and microplastics in stool (by Dr. Alberto Caminero) or the interaction between the oral microbiota and Covid-19 (by Dr. Jay Patel), this is obvious: everything is linked!
Enjoy your reading.
BMI 22.44