About this Research Topic
The human microbiome refers to the trillions of microorganisms, including bacteria, viruses, fungi, and other organisms within the human gut. The microbiome plays a crucial role in brain health and related disease and is known to change with age. The gut-brain axis refers to the bidirectional communication pathway between the gut microbiome and the brain, which involves neural, endocrine, and immune pathways. Studies have suggested that altered gut microbiome composition can disrupt these communication pathways, leading to neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration. A growing body of evidence has linked alterations in the gut microbiome with neurological disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and multiple sclerosis. For example, studies have found that people with Alzheimer’s disease have a different composition of gut bacteria to healthy individuals, with reduced levels of beneficial bacteria such as Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus. Additionally, animal studies have shown that manipulating the gut microbiome can influence neurological function and behavior, suggesting that the gut microbiome may play a role in the development and progression of neurological disorders.
While research in this area is still in its early stages, the potential for interventions targeting the gut microbiome to prevent or treat neurological disorders in aging populations is an exciting study area. Studying the relationship between the gut microbiome, neurological disorders, and aging presents several research challenges, including variability of the microbiome, causality vs. correlation, the need for interdisciplinary studies and animal models, and technical limitations due to the need for sophisticated tools and techniques. Despite these challenges, there is significant interest in studying the gut-brain axis and its role in neurological disorders.
In this collection, we would like to address these obstacles and advance our understanding of this complex relationship. We are interested in Original Research, Brief Research Report, Systematic Review, Case Report, Clinical Trial, Correction, Editorial, Hypothesis & Theory, Methods, Review/Mini-Review, Perspective, Policy and Practice Reviews, and Study Protocol articles, focusing on but not limited to the following areas:
• Variability in the microbiome
• Causality vs. correlation
• Multidisciplinary study design, including immunology, neuroscience, and microbiology
• Advancing our understanding of animal models to reflect the complexity of the disease conditions
• Analysis of the gut microbiome through novel tools and techniques such as high-throughput sequencing and metabolomics
While research in this area is still in its early stages, the potential for interventions targeting the gut microbiome to prevent or treat neurological disorders in aging populations is an exciting study area. Studying the relationship between the gut microbiome, neurological disorders, and aging presents several research challenges, including variability of the microbiome, causality vs. correlation, the need for interdisciplinary studies and animal models, and technical limitations due to the need for sophisticated tools and techniques. Despite these challenges, there is significant interest in studying the gut-brain axis and its role in neurological disorders.
In this collection, we would like to address these obstacles and advance our understanding of this complex relationship. We are interested in Original Research, Brief Research Report, Systematic Review, Case Report, Clinical Trial, Correction, Editorial, Hypothesis & Theory, Methods, Review/Mini-Review, Perspective, Policy and Practice Reviews, and Study Protocol articles, focusing on but not limited to the following areas:
• Variability in the microbiome
• Causality vs. correlation
• Multidisciplinary study design, including immunology, neuroscience, and microbiology
• Advancing our understanding of animal models to reflect the complexity of the disease conditions
• Analysis of the gut microbiome through novel tools and techniques such as high-throughput sequencing and metabolomics
Keywords: Gut microbiome, systemic inflammation, gut-brain axis, neurological diseases, neurological disorders, neuroinflammation, neurodegeneration, aging, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis
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