REVIEW article
Front. Microbiol.
Sec. Microorganisms in Vertebrate Digestive Systems
This article is part of the Research TopicExploring the gut-brain axis in neurodevelopmental disorders: Microbiome insights and therapy advancementsView all 9 articles
Muribaculum intestinale in Brain-Gut Axis Regulation: Promises and Limitations for Therapeutic Applications
Provisionally accepted
- 1The Affiliated Hospital of Inner Mongolia Medical University, Hohhot, China
- 2Beijing Chest Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
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In recent years, the role of gut microbiota in the regulation of the gut-brain axis has garnered increasing attention, with Muribaculum intestinale (M. intestinale) emerging as a novel member of the gut microbiota, exhibiting unique biological characteristics and potential therapeutic value. This article systematically reviews the regulatory mechanisms of M. intestinale in the gut-brain axis and its associations with various diseases. M. intestinale modulates host neurotransmitter synthesis, immune responses, and intestinal barrier function through metabolites such as short-chain fatty acids, succinate, and 3-hydroxybutyrate, thereby influencing the progression of neurodegenerative disorders, psychiatric diseases, and metabolic diseases. Additionally, this article explores the distribution differences of M. intestinale in the intestines of mice and humans, as well as its susceptibility to external factors like diet, antibiotics, and exercise. Although current research has unveiled the potential roles of M. intestinale, its clinical translation still faces challenges such as technical bottlenecks and individual variability. Future studies should focus on humanized model construction, synthetic biology modifications, and multi-target intervention strategies to achieve precise microbiota-targeted therapies.
Keywords: Gut Microbiota, gut-brain axis, Muribaculum intestinale, Neuroinflammation, short-chain fatty acids
Received: 13 Oct 2025; Accepted: 04 Feb 2026.
Copyright: © 2026 Wang, He, Li, Pan and Bai. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Yuanming Pan
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