Brain research · 2026 Oct 1
Xuan Z, Rahman MU, Ilyas M, Alioui Y, Xin Y, Cao X
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder in which alterations in the microbiota-gut-brain axis has been increasingly investigated. However, the effects of individual cultivable bacterial isolates recovered from individuals with AD on host intestinal and neurobehavioral phenotypes remain insufficiently characterized. In this study, three bacterial isolates, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Citrobacter pasteurii, were recovered from fecal samples collected from individuals diagnosed with AD and evaluated in healthy BALB/c mice following long-term oral admi…
Journal of ethnopharmacology · 2026 Oct 1
Yang W, Jiao X, Wang M, Qiu Y, Pan C, Han Y
Diabetes-associated cognitive dysfunction (DACD) is a neurological complication of diabetes characterized by impaired learning and memory. Epimedium is a traditional Chinese medicinal herb used for conditions associated with diabetes and cognitive decline. Icaritin (Y003), a bioactive prenylated flavonoid derived from Epimedium and an active metabolite of flavonoid glycosides such as icariin, has shown glucose-lowering and neuroprotective effects. However, its effects on DACD and underlying mechanisms remain unclear. This study aimed to explore the efficacy and mechanisms of Y003 against DACD …
Journal of Ayurveda and integrative medicine · 2026 Oct 1
Nair PP, Radhakrishnan A, Edavalathu M, Joy JL
Basti therapy, a key intervention in Ayurveda, is hypothesized to mimic the anti-inflammatory effects of vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) through modulation of the gut-brain axis. VNS is an established neuro-modulatory technique used in the management of inflammatory disorders. Parkinson's disease is considered a model to explore this hypothesis, given the significant role of vagal dysfunction and neuroinflammation in its pathogenesis. A structured literature search of major biomedical databases (2000-2025) was conducted to identify relevant studies on vagus nerve activity, gut-brain communicatio…
Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2026 Oct 1
Li J, Ji F
Chemotherapy-induced toxicities represent a major clinical challenge in gastric cancer treatment, with limited effective management strategies. Emerging evidence suggests that gut microbiota dysbiosis is a key driver of these adverse effects, while traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) shows potential in modulating gut microbial composition. This review aims to systematically summarize the molecular mechanisms and clinical evidence of TCM in alleviating chemotherapy-induced toxicities in gastric cancer through gut microbiota regulation and to identify current research gaps. A systematic literatur…
Frontiers in nutrition · 2026
Liu Q, Luo L, Yan Z, Yang P, Long T, Yang Y
The prevalence of ultra-processed food (UPF) consumption in pediatric diets has raised significant concerns regarding long-term health. This review examines evidence for a proposed 'pro-inflammatory imprint' involving the gut microbiome-inflammation axis. Using a structured narrative synthesis of pediatric observational evidence, adult intervention studies, preclinical research, multi-omics data, and public health evaluations, we examine associations between UPF exposure and metabolic, inflammatory, cognitive, and neurodevelopmental outcomes while distinguishing direct from indirect evidence. …
Frontiers in neuroscience · 2026
Mazzuoli-Weber G, Elfers K
The enteric nervous system (ENS) is increasingly recognized as a highly plastic integrative network positioned at the interface between the intestinal microbiota, epithelial barrier, immune system, and gut-brain axis. Beyond its established role in regulating gastrointestinal motility, secretion, and blood flow, the ENS continuously senses and integrates microbial, metabolic, immune, and environmental signals to maintain intestinal homeostasis and coordinate adaptive physiological responses. Recent advances have revealed that microbiota-derived metabolites, including short-chain fatty acids, b…
Frontiers in microbiology · 2026
Zhang X, Guo Y, Gao S, Li S, Du Y, Wan D
Depression is a common comorbidity in epilepsy, but its underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. Although the "oral-brain axis" has gained increasing attention in neuropsychiatric disorders, oral microbial characteristics in epileptic patients with depressive symptoms remain largely unexplored. This study aimed to compare the oral microbial composition between epileptic patients with and without depressive symptoms and to identify bacterial genera and functional pathways that may be associated with depressive symptoms. The study included 59 adult patients with epilepsy. Based on the Neurop…
bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2026 Sep 24
Li T, Yang Y, Cho SH, Howell BR, Wu Z, Yin W
The gut microbiome undergoes rapid maturation after birth and has been associated with cognition and mental health, yet its relation to early brain development remains poorly defined. We analyzed 223 typically developing children aged 0-3 years with multimodal MRI and paired fecal shotgun metagenomics. Microbiome-wide association analyses identified associations with cortical morphology, white-matter microstructure, and functional connectivity. Ridge-regularized canonical correlation analysis identified two principal covariance patterns: a structural-metabolic mode and a functional-taxonomic m…
Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences · 2026 Oct 1
Czyż DM, Brown BM
Disruption of protein homoeostasis, or proteostasis, is a hallmark of protein conformational diseases (PCDs), including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. These disorders are characterized by progressive protein aggregation and cellular dysfunction, yet no effective therapies exist. Emerging evidence indicates that microbial communities influence host proteostasis, giving rise to the concept of the microbiota-proteostasis axis. Microbes and their products can modulate host proteins by engaging with host proteostasis. As such, microbial dysbiosis has been linked to proteostasis disruption thr…
Mini reviews in medicinal chemistry · 2026 Sep 29
Yadav AK, Sah BK, Ahmad F, Jamwal V, Sahu SK
Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is the fourth highest cause of morbidity and mortality in the world, and its prevalence has grown significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic. The pathophysiology of the disorder is multifactorial, involving genetic, environmental, cellular, and molecular factors. Traditional pharmacotherapies are characterized by delayed action, inadequate response, and side effects, thus prompting studies of complementary or additional treatments. The review aims to provide a comprehensive evaluation of the therapeutic potential of natural products and dietary supplements in MD…
Science bulletin · 2026 Sep 17
Xu J, Shi T, Qian D, Cheng K, Xu P, Chen X
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients disproportionately suffer from depression and anxiety, which exacerbate clinical outcomes yet remain inadequately addressed by current anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF) biologics. To bridge this therapeutic gap, we engineered Escherichia coli Nissle 1917 (eEcN) as a clinically translatable living microbial therapeutics platform for dual-targeted intervention. eEcN is designed to autonomously secrete immunomodulatory outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) bearing TNFα-neutralizing nanobodies (TNFαnb). These bioengineered nanovesicles specifically target inflamed…
Gut microbes · 2026 Dec 31
Ye X, Cai Q, Li Y, You M, Chen J, Pan Y
Dysregulation of the gut-brain metabolic axis has been implicated in the progression of diabetes-associated cognitive decline (DACD), yet its underlying mechanism remains largely unknown. Herein, we identified a low abundance of Akkermansia muciniphila (AKK) and high leucine levels as key driving factors of DACD in both diabetic mice and patients. Our results revealed that AKK bacteria hold the capacity to catabolize leucine, and the elevated leucine levels observed in diabetic mice and patients are partly attributed to a low abundance of AKK bacteria. Moreover, leucine supplementation and dep…
Multiple sclerosis and related disorders · 2026 Sep 26
Wang J, Zheng F, Zhang Y, Lu Z
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic immune-mediated disease of the central nervous system characterized by progressive neuroinflammation and demyelination. Increasing evidence suggests that the gut microbiota contributes to MS pathogenesis through bidirectional gut-brain interactions; however, the underlying mechanistic framework remains incompletely defined. We performed a narrative synthesis of literature published from March 2010 to March 2026 using PubMed, Web of Science, the Cochrane Library, CNKI, and Wanfang Data. Relevant studies were critically evaluated to integrate current mechanis…
American journal of physiology. Gastrointestinal and liver physiology · 2026 Sep 30
Ofori-Kwafo A, Sree Kumar H, Otmanowski EB, Al Mamun E, Habibic-Beskovic A, Li Q
Host-microbiota interactions play a central role in regulating gastrointestinal and cardiometabolic physiology, yet the mechanistic pathways linking microbial metabolites to sensory neuronal activation remain poorly defined. In particular, the rapid signaling events through which short-chain fatty acids such as butyrate influence epithelial and neuronal function in the colon have not been fully resolved due to limitations of existing models. Here, we developed and validated a compartmentalized microfluidic tri-channel model that spatially organizes primary colonic epithelial cells, sensory neu…
The American journal of Chinese medicine · 2026 Sep 30
Yu A, Bi Y, Xu X
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is one of the most common functional gastrointestinal disorders, with dysfunction of the gut-brain axis (GBA) being its core pathogenic mechanism. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), guided by the theory of "liver-spleen interaction" and the core therapeutic principle of "soothing the liver and invigorating the spleen", has accumulated extensive clinical experience in IBS treatment. This review systematically searched PubMed, Web of Science, and CNKI databases to summarize the molecular mechanisms by which gut microbiota participate in IBS pathogenesis through th…
Developmental neurobiology · 2026 Oct
Usmani MW, Shakir MZ, Khan MA, Usman M, Ullah I, Mengjie Y
Bidirectional communication among the gut microbiota, immune system, and central nervous system shapes microglial maturation and responsiveness. This review evaluates microglia as context-dependent neuroimmune integrators rather than fixed M1/M2 populations. It organizes the literature into three linked layers: gut-derived signals and barrier physiology, microglial state transitions, and therapeutic modulation by Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Experimental depletion, colonization, and metabolite studies provide causal evidence that the microbiota can modify microglial biology in animals; …
Journal of digestive diseases · 2026 Sep 30
Sun LJ, Chen H, Fan WJ, Shi ZY, Zhao YJ, Wang Y
Hepatic encephalopathy (HE) is one of the common complications of cirrhosis. Gut-derived signals, including microbiota and bile acids, have been found to be involved in the gut-brain axis in cirrhosis. We aimed to explore the impact of the gut-microbiota-bile acid axis on behavioral deficits in cirrhosis. Mice were colonized with gut bacteria obtained from cirrhotic patients with or without HE via fecal microbiota transplantation. Serum bile acid profiles, intestinal histological features, and behaviors were assessed to evaluate the impacts of gut microbial disturbance on bile acids and gut-br…
British journal of hospital medicine (London, England : 2005) · 2026 Sep 10
Syal A, Pasula R, Mortezaei K, Panayiotou I, Kumari G, Derk C
Gastrointestinal (GI) involvement is among the most common and clinically important manifestations of systemic sclerosis (SSc), affecting up to 90% of patients and substantially contributing to morbidity and reduced quality of life. SSc-related GI disease results from microvascular injury, enteric nervous system dysfunction, and progressive smooth muscle atrophy with fibrosis, producing widespread dysmotility throughout the gastrointestinal tract. Clinical involvement can extend from the oral cavity to the anorectum, with esophageal dysfunction, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), gastropa…
Epilepsia · 2026 Sep 30
Meili CH, Allen K, Doty DJ, Del Fiol S, DePaula-Silva AB
The ketogenic diet (KD) is a high-fat, low-carbohydrate intervention widely used to treat drug-resistant epilepsy, thought to reduce seizures through a combination of metabolic, neuronal, and microbiota-dependent mechanisms. Additionally, recent studies suggest that the anticonvulsant effects of KD require the gut microbiota, with taxa such as Akkermansia and Parabacteroides contributing to seizure protection by modulating host neurotransmitter balance and neural excitability. Whereas KD has been shown to be effective in reducing seizure burden across different epilepsies, its antiseizure effe…
Frontiers in bioscience (Landmark edition) · 2026 Sep 8
Yang EJ, Park HR
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is traditionally viewed as a brain-centered disorder characterized by impaired fear extinction and dysregulated emotional processing. Despite advances in pharmacologic and psychotherapeutic interventions, treatment resistance remains a major challenge for a substantial proportion of patients, highlighting the complexity of PTSD pathophysiology beyond central neural mechanisms. In addition, PTSD is associated with persistent dysregulation of systemic stress-regulatory networks, including the autonomic nervous system, immune-inflammatory pathways, and the gu…
International review of neurobiology · 2026
Matta T, Bishnoi M, Chopra K, Kondepudi KK
Epilepsy is a chronic neurological disorder affecting more than 50 million people globally. Over one-third of patients remain pharmacoresistant to conventional antiepileptic therapy, creating a substantial healthcare and societal burden. Recently, the gut-brain axis has emerged as a novel and pivotal route in the pathophysiology and progression of epilepsy. The gut microbiota regulates brain function by influencing immune responses, neurotransmitter levels, and the integrity of the gut-brain barrier. Studies increasingly show that epilepsy is linked to gut dysbiosis, reflected by reduced abund…
Physiology & behavior · 2026 Sep 24
Taghipour N, Aghabozorg M, Bafroee AST, Ashabi G
Menopause, modeled by ovariectomy (OVX) in rodents, causes cognitive decline and emotional disturbances due to estrogen withdrawal. While probiotics and aerobic exercise independently show beneficial effects, their combined contribution remains poorly characterized. This study investigated whether concurrent administration of Lactobacillus plantarum and aerobic exercise alleviates cognitive and behavioral deficits in OVX rats. Fifty female Wistar rats (9-12 weeks old) were randomly allocated into five groups (n=10/group): Sham, OVX+PBS, OVX+Exercise (Exe), OVX+L. plantarum, and OVX+ Exe+ L. pl…
Experimental neurology · 2026 Sep 24
Chen X, Zhao Z, Shen Y, Ji Y, Yao X, Gu X
Parkinson's disease (PD), the second most common neurodegenerative disorder worldwide, is characterized by progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra and striatal dopamine deficiency, leading to motor dysfunction. The complex pathogenesis involves impaired protein homeostasis with α-synuclein aggregation, mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress, and neuroinflammation, including NLRP3 inflammasome activation. Newly identified regulated cell death pathways - including ferroptosis, cuproptosis, pyroptosis, and necroptosis - have further expanded current understanding of …
Marine drugs · 2026 Sep 16
Kang X, Yang Z, Ma Z, Hong J, Zhang Y, Zhou L
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) induces systemic oxidative stress and inflammation, leading to secondary cognitive impairment. The mechanisms by which marine-derived fucoidan exerts neuroprotection remain incompletely understood. Here we show that oral administration of Fucus vesiculosus-derived fucoidan improved object-recognition and object-location preferential indices, attenuated renal tubulointerstitial fibrosis, and reduced systemic oxidative and inflammatory markers in adenine-induced CKD mice. In hippocampal tissue, fucoidan attenuated oxidative stress and neuroinflammation, as reflected …
Metabolites · 2026 Sep 20
Krynicka P, Piotrowska AH, Kłopocka M
Patient-reported outcomes (PROs) capture important dimensions of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), including fatigue, questionnaire-defined mood-related symptom burden, pain, sleep disturbance, bowel urgency and impaired health-related quality of life, yet these outcomes are incompletely explained by conventional inflammatory markers. Metabolite-related measures may capture host-microbe co-metabolism relevant to patient-reported burden. This critical narrative review synthesized adult IBD literature linking metabolite-related measures with patient-reported symptom domains. PubMed/MEDLINE, Emba…
Metabolites · 2026 Sep 2
Kang Z, Meng R, Nie M, Wang T
Gut microbial metabolism links intestinal ecology with systemic physiology and neural pathology, but its effects vary across disease stage, tissue compartment, and host background. This review uses Alzheimer's disease (AD) as the principal model and compares selected features with Parkinson's disease (PD) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Across the AD continuum, fermentation-related changes appear in prodromal cohorts, whereas broader alterations in amino acid products, host-microbial co-metabolites, bile acids, and lipids accompany mild cognitive impairment and dementia. These group-l…
Medical sciences (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026 Aug 31
Bajić D, Vučković J, Pupovac N, Slavić D, Stojšić M, Hodoba N
Background: Population aging is accompanied by progressive immune remodeling, chronic low-grade inflammation, and increased susceptibility to neurodegenerative diseases. Although the microbiota-gut-brain axis is increasingly recognized as a regulator of neuroimmune homeostasis, mechanisms linking age-associated dysbiosis with immunosenescence, barrier dysfunction, and brain aging remain incompletely understood. This review integrates current evidence into the proposed Gut-Immune-Brain Resilience Axis (GIBRA), a systems-level model describing how microbial signaling shapes neuroimmune resilienc…
Cells · 2026 Sep 21
Xu C, Li W, Ma X, Han L, Cui G, Zhao J
Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the loss of dopaminergic neurons and the deposition of Lewy bodies (LBs). The gut-brain axis has emerged as a potential route for the bidirectional dissemination of PD pathology, in which the enteric and central nervous systems may contribute to the spread of misfolded α-synuclein (α-Syn) and associated neuroinflammatory responses. However, neural pathways alone may not fully account for the widespread distribution of PD pathology across the brain and gut. As another major conduit connecting the gut and the b…
Journal of biochemical and molecular toxicology · 2026 Oct
Sophian A, Asmariani, Ismayani E
Microplastics (MPs) and nanoplastics (NPs) have emerged as ubiquitous environmental contaminants with profound implications for human neurological health. Recent landmark findings confirm the bioaccumulation of MPs/NPs in human brain tissue-with concentrations reaching 4917 μg/g in 2024 autopsy samples and up to 10-fold higher levels in individuals with dementia-underscoring the urgent need for mechanistic understanding. This review synthesizes current evidence on the routes by which MPs/NPs traverse the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and the olfactory pathway, their cellular effects within the cen…
Sleep advances : a journal of the Sleep Research Society · 2026
Saiz-Gonzalo G, Al-Humadi AW, McSweeney S, le Roux CW, Bleiel SB
Sleep restriction, serotonin biology, and gut-brain signaling are interconnected, but whether habitual short sleep is associated with altered peripheral serotonin in healthy adults remains unclear. Probiotic modulation of circulating serotonin has also been insufficiently characterized. In this exploratory randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, 21 healthy adults received microencapsulated Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus GG or placebo for 28 days and were classified by habitual sleep duration as short sleepers (≤5 h/night) or adequate sleepers (≥6 h/night). Fasting serum serotonin was…
eGastroenterology · 2026
Cani PD, Petitfils C, Van Hul M
Dysosmobacter is a genus of strictly anaerobic, butyrate-producing bacteria of the family Oscillospiraceae that was first described in 2020 with the human faecal type species Dysosmobacter welbionis J115T. The organism was recovered by chance during a targeted attempt to isolate new Subdoligranulum species, a project that failed in its original aim but yielded a bacterium that fulfilled the criteria for an entirely new genus. Since then, D. welbionis has emerged as one of the best-supported examples of a candidate next-generation beneficial microbe. It is carried by roughly two thirds to more …
Frontiers in nutrition · 2026
Liu X, Leng H, Li Z, Deng X, Tian B, Xiao X
This narrative review aims to summarize evidence from nutritional psychiatry, behavioral medicine, and chronic disease management, examine the relationship between psychological factors and dietary behaviors in chronic disease management, and discuss potential mechanisms, disease-specific manifestations, and clinical management approaches. Chronic disease management involves not only the control of disease-related indicators but also the long-term maintenance of dietary behaviors, treatment adherence, and self-management. Stress, anxiety, depression, reduced self-efficacy, and disease-related …
Research square · 2026 Sep 18
Coker MO, Kumar A, Peter O, Abulude IJ, Sheng Q, Akhigbe P
Adolescents with perinatally acquired HIV (PHIV) on antiretroviral therapy (ART) face early neurocognitive and oral disease, yet links between the oral microbiome and cognition remain underexplored. We analyzed baseline data from 53 PHIV and 47 age-, sex-, and socioeconomically matched HIV-unexposed-uninfected (HUU) adolescents (10-13 years) in Nigeria. Cognition was assessed with NeuroScreen and the NIH Toolbox. Oral rinse shotgun metagenomes were profiled for microbial diversity, community structure, and species-level differential abundance using five complementary methods stratified by HIV …
Zhejiang da xue xue bao. Yi xue ban = Journal of Zhejiang University. Medical sciences · 2026 Sep 15
Zhou J, Zou Z, Pan T, Liu Y
Substance addiction is a chronic psychiatric disorder characterized by compulsive substance use, impaired behavioral control, and high relapse rates. Although mesolimbic dopaminergic reward system dysfunction is a key neurobiological substrate of substance addiction, it cannot fully explain persistent drug craving, addiction-related memory, or compulsive drug-seeking and drug-taking behaviors after abstinence. Repeated exposure to addictive substances can induce oxidative stress, activation of pattern-recognition receptors, increased blood-brain barrier permeability, and gut-brain axis dysregu…
BMJ open · 2026 Sep 23
Artosalo M, Östberg A, Tenovuo O, Roine T, Mohammadian M, Kallonen T
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a major cause of long-term disability worldwide, but the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying its chronic sequelae remain incompletely understood. In addition to persistent neuroinflammation, evidence suggests that dysregulation of the gut microbiota influences brain recovery. The OVERCOME-TBI study investigates the long-term functional, cognitive, imaging, biochemical and gastrointestinal outcomes after TBI of all severities, with the aim of identifying biomarkers and microbiome signatures associated with progressive neurodegeneration and poor recovery. Thi…
Progress in neuro-psychopharmacology & biological psychiatry · 2026 Sep 23
Lachinani F, Milajerdi A
Chronic low-grade inflammation has been widely acknowledged as an important pathophysiological mechanism underlying depression. Probiotics may alleviate depressive symptoms by modifying the microbiota-gut-brain axis and regulating inflammatory responses. The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to assess the effect of probiotic supplementation on circulating inflammatory biomarkers in depressed individuals. A systematic search of the literature was conducted in PubMed and Google Scholar from the beginning until October 2025. Scopus, Embase, Web of Science, and the Cochrane L…
Alcohol (Fayetteville, N.Y.) · 2026 Sep 23
Fabio MC, Sanchez M, Marengo L, Ravasi C, Di Bartolomeo M, Wille-Bille A
Prenatal ethanol exposure (PEE) alters neurobehavioral function, yet the factors associated with these effects, particularly in interaction with stress, remain poorly understood. We examined whether combined exposure to PEE and adolescent restraint stress altered compulsive-like behavior and, in the sex showing the clearest combined effects, assessed gut microbiota composition and neuroimmune-related gene expression. Male and female Wistar rats exposed to ethanol on gestational days 17-20 were subjected to restraint stress (RES) or control conditions during adolescence. Behavioral assessments …
PloS one · 2026
Hu A, Liu J, Chen P, Yang K, Xu F, Luo G
The giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) is a relict species endemic to China. Captive breeding has boosted its population. However, some captive individuals exhibit stereotypic behavior. Though extensive research showing that host behavior can be influenced by gut microbiota via the gut-brain axis, the gut microbiota related to stereotypic behavior of giant pandas has not been reported. To explore gut microbial composition and functional characteristics of stereotypically behaving (SB) giant pandas, the behavior of 15 captive giant pandas was observed, and their feces were analyzed using 16S …
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America · 2026 Sep 29
Liu H, Sun Y, Jiang C, Dong N, Yang Y, Zhu Y
Animals must flexibly adjust their learning strategies to cope with changing environmental threats. In Caenorhabditis elegans, exposure to the pathogenic bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA14) induces aversive learning, and we uncover that the shape of learning curves varies with the virulence of the pathogen. This flexibility is governed by a gut-to-brain neuropeptide signaling pathway that modulates learning dynamics in response to internal physiological state. PA14 exposure upregulates the intestinal neuropeptide FLP-18, which acts on two antagonistic receptors, NPR-5 and NPR-6, in the ADF…
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America · 2026 Sep 29
Park J, Orahood O, Banginwar M, Andrade A, Pore G, Sanchez K
Early-life enteric infection disrupts the developing microbiota-gut-brain (MGB) axis. Using a neonatal Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) model, we show that intestinal epithelial cell (IEC) nucleotide oligomerization domain (NOD)1 signaling coordinates neuroimmune outcomes throughout early development and into adulthood. Neonatal mice infected at postnatal day (P)7 exhibited ileal inflammation, with increased pro-inflammatory cytokines and monocyte/macrophage infiltration, and loss of myenteric neurons in wild-type mice but not in NOD1 conditional knockout (Nod1ΔIEC) mice. These deficit…
Beneficial microbes · 2026 Sep 11
Selvaraj V, Venkat S, Jayakumar A, Kandasamy V
Functional abdominal pain disorders (FAPDs) are common in children and are associated with alterations in the gut-brain axis and intestinal microbiota. Although individual probiotic strains such as Limosilactobacillus reuteri DSM 17938 and Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus GG have demonstrated efficacy over placebo, direct comparative evidence between strains is limited. This prospective quasi-experimental analysis with blinded outcome assessment was conducted at a tertiary care centre in South India between January 2025 and March 2026. Children aged 5-12 years diagnosed with Functional Abdominal P…
Journal of dairy science · 2026 Sep 17
Yang M, Luo Y, Wu S, Jia W, Chen H, He F
This study aimed to investigate the effects of early-life oral supplementation with 6'-sialyllactose (6'-SL) on neurobehavioral development in mice and the potential mechanisms involving the microbiota-gut-brain (MGB) axis. Neonatal mice received daily oral gavage of saline or 6'-SL from birth to postnatal day (PND) 21. Behavioral tests (Y-maze, open field, light-dark box, forced swim test) were conducted from PND 37-41. Fecal metagenomics and short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) levels were assessed, and brain gene expression was analyzed by RNA sequencing and reverse transcription quantitative real…
Experimental gerontology · 2026 Sep 17
Hu Q, Wang N, Tang S, Huang C, Ding J
Postoperative delirium (POD) is an acute neurocognitive complication associated with prolonged hospitalization, mortality, and long-term functional decline. Gut microbiota may contribute to POD through gut-brain axis pathways involving inflammation, barrier dysfunction, neurotransmission, and metabolism, but the available evidence remains heterogeneous. To synthesize human and animal evidence on the association between gut microbiota alterations and delirium, particularly POD, and to evaluate the supporting mechanistic evidence. Following PRISMA guidance, PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, MEDLINE, CNKI,…
Cureus · 2026 Aug
Stokan HE, Gajwani A, Melnyk C
Gluten-free diets (GFDs) are increasingly used by families as a complementary intervention for pediatric psychiatric disorders despite limited evidence supporting their efficacy. Proposed mechanisms include immune-mediated inflammation, altered gut-brain signaling, and increased intestinal permeability that may influence neuropsychiatric function. This review aimed to systematically evaluate the evidence for GFD use in children and adolescents with psychiatric disorders without diagnosed celiac disease. A structured literature search was conducted using Ovid Medical Literature Analysis and Ret…
Metabolism open · 2026 Dec
Bhandari P, Sideeg A, Elfeki M, Xie C, Singal AK
Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) involves gut-brain axis dysfunction. Modulating microbiota offers a promising therapeutic strategy. Clinical trials on fecal microbiota transplant (FMT), prebiotics (inulin), probiotics, and neurohormonal agents like glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and ghrelin receptor antagonists) were identified through PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus, and ClinicalTrials.gov (until 07/31/2026). Of the eleven included studies, five identified gut dysbiosis as a common feature in individuals with AUD. Gut dysbiosis-directed interventions were associated with benefits on behavioral (al…
Gut microbes · 2026 Dec 31
Peschke L, Nguyen TT, Leite JA, Falony G, Nguyen VTT, Kattimani Y
The bidirectional communication between the gut microbiota, immune system, and central nervous system-the gut‒brain axis-plays a vital role in maintaining brain health. Its disruption can lead to neuroinflammation and cognitive decline. However, the relationship between the gut microbiota and age-related changes in brain immunity remains unclear. This study examined gut microbiota composition and T-cell profiles in senescence-accelerated SAMP8 mice and senescence-resistant SAMR1 controls at young adult and aged stages. The accelerated-aging phenotype of SAMP8 mice was confirmed by reduced beha…
Translational psychiatry · 2026 Sep 1
Shen X, Jiang X
Chronic stress was known to contribute to gut microbiota dysbiosis and central neuroinflammation, yet the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. In this study, forty-eight male C57BL/6 mice were randomly assigned to three groups: control, chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS), and CUMS with probiotic intervention. Mice in the CUMS group were exposed to four weeks of unpredictable stressors, while those in the probiotic group received oral administration of Bifidobacterium triple viable capsules during the stress period. Behavioral assessments revealed pronounced depression-like beh…
BMJ open · 2026 Sep 16
Mousavi SS, Payahoo L, Nourizadeh R, Moshfeghy Z, Mohammadi Bina Z, Abbasalizadeh F
Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is one of the most prevalent metabolic disorders during pregnancy and may lead to various short-term and long-term complications for both the mother and the fetus. It is also associated with psychological disorders, such as anxiety and depression, the prevalence of which is reported to be two to four times higher than that among healthy pregnant women. Psychobiotics may improve cognitive and emotional function through modulation of the gut-brain axis. Therefore, this study was designed to evaluate the prophylactic effects of synbiotic supplementation and a p…
Progress in neurobiology · 2026 Sep 16
Peinado MÁ, Naranjo A, Blanco S, Siles E, Moral MLD, Hernández R
Ischemic stroke remains a leading cause of global mortality and disability, exhibiting marked sexual dimorphism in incidence, severity, and functional outcomes. While epidemiological disparities are well-documented, emerging evidence indicates that these differences are rooted in sex-specific molecular and cellular programs that evolve across the lifespan. This review synthesizes the complex interplay between biological sex and aging in stroke pathophysiology, emphasizing how chromosomal complement and hormonal status dictate the brain's differential response to ischemia. Within the salvageabl…
Reviews in medical virology · 2026 Sep
El Mheddeb S, El Kettani A, Bousfiha AA, Ezzikouri S, Ouladlahsen A
The interaction between the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and the gut microbiota is attracting growing interest due to its potential role in the progression of infection and the development of comorbidities. This review provides a comprehensive and critically appraised synthesis of current evidence on the bidirectional relationship between HIV infection and gut microbiota disruption, structured around four central themes: the mechanistic basis of HIV-associated gut dysbiosis and mucosal immune dysfunction and its link to chronic inflammation; the effects of different antiretroviral therap…
Frontiers in nutrition · 2026
Dunga KE, Izah SC, Dunkwu-Okafor A, Promise VI, Alum EU, Aliu OO
This narrative review evaluates how convincingly plant-food components and plant-rich dietary patterns influence neuroinflammation and whether those mechanisms translate into neurological benefit. Infection is treated as one possible initiating exposure, neuroinflammation as a context-dependent mechanism, and neurological complications as clinical outcomes. Targeted literature searches and reference verification prioritized original human trials, mechanistic studies and balanced evidence syntheses. The most coherent pathways are modulation of microglial inflammatory signaling, including NLRP3-…
Cureus · 2026 Aug
Burris K
Conventional psychiatric and psychotherapeutic services typically require extended treatment durations while collecting limited outcome data, producing inconsistent care. Subconscious Restructuring (SR) uses a behavioral microbiome model treating psychological symptoms and gut barrier integrity as a single clinical target, on the premise that a compromised gut barrier permits translocation of lipopolysaccharide and Candida, activating microglia and the neuroinflammation implicated in depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The model is the rationale for the protocol's d…
Frontiers in nutrition · 2026
Scoglio MJ, Samala T, Ghalat NJ, Jayaraman A, Pettersson S
Fetal neurodevelopment is a critical phase modulated by the maternal microbiome. While certain specific signaling pathways have been identified, the complete signaling network and the spatial and temporal complexity remain largely unknown. Maternal metabolites are essential for fetal growth and certain metabolites are subject to dynamic adaptation during pregnancy. Alteration of maternal microbe richness and diversity, caused by malnutrition, psycho-social distress, and or infection, are cues known to impair fetal neural developmental circuits concomitant with increased risk of cognitive dysfu…
Frontiers in nutrition · 2026
Pérez-Reytor D, García K, Urrutia ÍM, Plaza N, Karahanian E
Alcohol use disorder is frequently accompanied by major depressive disorder, yet the biological mechanisms linking both conditions remain incompletely understood. Increasing evidence suggests that chronic alcohol consumption disrupts the gut-brain axis by damaging intestinal tight junctions and inducing gut dysbiosis characterized by depletion of short-chain fatty acid-producing bacteria. The resulting impairment of intestinal barrier integrity may facilitate the translocation of bacterial lipopolysaccharide, promoting peripheral and central neuroinflammation through Toll-like receptor 4-depen…
Molecular nutrition & food research · 2026 Sep
Hetta HF, Hassan RAA, Alanazi FE, Alqifari SF, Albalwi MA, Albalawi AA
The microbiota-gut-brain axis (MGBA) represents a dynamic, bidirectional communication network linking the gut microbiome with central nervous system function through neural, immune, metabolic, and endocrine pathways. Emerging clinical, observational, and preclinical evidence suggests that special and restrictive dietary patterns-including Mediterranean, ketogenic, vegan, gluten-free, low-FODMAP, sugar-restricted, dairy-free diets, and intermittent fasting (IF)-can substantially modulate the gut microbiota, potentially influencing mental health outcomes. In this review, we first outline the fu…
Journal of neurochemistry · 2026 Sep
Clarke G
The microbiota-gut-brain axis has emerged as a central framework for understanding how microbial communities influence nervous system development, function, and disease. This Special Issue highlights three interconnected themes: microbial metabolites and neurochemistry, developmental and neuroimmune mechanisms, and translation to neurological and psychiatric disease. The articles in the collection examine how microbial metabolites modulate neuroinflammatory and neurochemical pathways, how stress, development, immune signaling, and gut health shape gut-brain communication across the lifespan, a…
Pharmacological research · 2026 Sep 15
Madkoor M, Ahmed R, Hany R, Abdelnaby M, Hagar Z, Ahmed A
Chemotherapy-induced cognitive impairment (CICI), often termed chemobrain, is a clinically important complication of cancer treatment that can affect memory, attention, executive function, and processing speed during and after therapy. Doxorubicin is of particular mechanistic interest because brain parenchymal exposure is limited, yet preclinical studies consistently identify neuroinflammatory, oxidative, vascular, and synaptic abnormalities after treatment. This critical narrative review evaluates whether intestinal injury and disruption of the microbiota-gut-brain axis may contribute to thes…
Clinical nutrition ESPEN · 2026 Sep 15
Ahmed AMF, Akhiljith, Balasubramanian S, Afeeza M, Nair M, George J
The bidirectional communication network between the gastrointestinal tract and the central nervous system, known as the microbiota-gut-brain axis, is increasingly recognized as a critical interface for neuropsychiatric health. Psychobiotics, encompassing specific live bacterial strains, prebiotics, and targeted dietary interventions, represent a novel class of microbiome-modulating therapeutics capable of influencing mental well-being. This comprehensive review synthesises current evidence regarding the neurobiological mechanisms and clinical efficacy of psychobiotics in the context of psychia…
Inflammopharmacology · 2026 Sep 15
Abdel-Rasol MA
Neuroinflammation is a central driver of neurodegeneration in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Parkinson's disease (PD), driven by interconnected pathways involving microglial state dysregulation, inflammasome activation, cyclic GMP-AMP synthase-stimulator of interferon genes (cGAS-STING) signaling, impaired mitophagy, CD33-TREM2 imbalance, gut-brain axis disruption, and peripheral immune infiltration across a compromised blood-brain barrier (BBB). Conventional anti-inflammatory therapies remain limited by poor CNS delivery, inadequate cell specificity, and the inability to simultaneously modulate…
Developmental psychobiology · 2026 Sep
Khafizova GV, Kanamarlapudi H, Garcia J, Nichols A, Ali A, Kilani H
The infant gut microbiome plays a fundamental role in immune maturation, metabolic programming, and neurodevelopment, with early microbial colonization representing a sensitive period for long-term health outcomes. Maternal factors during pregnancy powerfully modulate infant microbiome assembly; however, the specific effects of prenatal stress exposure (PSE) on offspring gut microbial communities remain incompletely understood. Here, we present a cross-species systematic review, the first of this scale, examining associations between prenatal stress and offspring gut microbiome composition. Se…