Editorial: Animal Models, Gut Microbiota and Brain Diseases

Yu Wang^1*Jin Song^2,3Chang Liu⁴Dr. Niraj Kumar Jha⁵Kavindra Kumar Kesari⁶

• ¹Institute of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
• ²Beijing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
• ³Beijing Institute of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
• ⁴Shandong University, Jinan, China
• ⁵Galgotias University, Greater Noida, India
• ⁶Aalto University, Otakaari, Finland

Brain diseases, including neurological and psychiatric disorders such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, epilepsy, depression, anxiety, autism, insomnia, etc., significantly impact human health. These conditions are mainly characterized by abnormal thinking patterns, cognition, emotional states, and behavior (Gao et al., 2023). Research primarily relies on animal models, but the pathophysiology remains incompletely understood.Determining whether findings are causal, related, or irrelevant is critical for advancing effective treatments.There is a need for updated insights from preclinical animal studies. Since 2011, research has shown that germ-free mice exhibit reduced anxiety-like behavior and altered neurochemicals, sparking interest in the gut microbiota's role in health (Neufeld et al., 2011). The concept of microbiota-gut-brain axis (MGBA), formalized in 2012, highlights the connection between peripheral systems and the brain via gut microbiota (Cryan et al., 2012). Over the past decade, animal models have been crucial in investigating the gut microbiota's impact on brain diseases and potential therapies.However, applying these findings to human brain disease diagnosis and treatment remains challenging.The aim of this Research Topic was to compile new studies on animal models, gut microbiota, and brain diseases, featuring 23 articles: 15 Original Research papers, 4Review, 2 Systematic Reviews, and 2 Mini Reviews.Researchers have long debated the link between gut microflora and dementia. Although these findings are promising, limitations including small sample sizes constrain generalizability and require further validation. Microbiota-targeted therapies offer potential for advancing personalized approaches to depression management. In this regard, the study by Wang et al. illustrates that electroacupuncture at points ST36 and ST25 alleviates depressive-like behaviors in rats subjected to chronic unpredictable mild stress by modulating gut microbiota (e.g., increased Bacteroidetes and decreased Lachnospiraceae exhibits opposing effects: specific genera increase AN risk yet confer protection against BN. These findings underscore microbiota's complex role in eating disorders and offer novel targets for probiotic therapies, notwithstanding limitations in microbial genome-wide association studies that require further validation.