Gut-brain-microbiome axis in pediatrics

The human gastrointestinal tract harbors millions of highly competitive microorganisms, including bacteria, protozoa, fungi, viruses, and archaea, living in close symbiosis with the host. The gut microbiome plays a vital role in regulating and maintaining the health of the gastrointestinal tract and extraintestinal organs. Signals derived from the gut microbiota can alter the central nervous system, the enteric nervous system, the autonomic nervous system, the neuroendocrine system, and the neuroimmune system.

Preliminary studies investigating microbes in the gut and other organs have shown considerable variation in the characterization of the gut microbiome among healthy newborns, toddlers, infants, and adolescents. This variation is relevant in clinical settings, particularly, in patients with gastrointestinal disorders including constipation, colitis, diarrhea, gastroesophageal reflux, etc., or those receiving medications such as antibiotics and antiepileptics, where it is important to identify and evaluate markers of interest, and to find associations between gut microbiota and clinical conditions. This information will potentially be necessary to establish intervention strategies.

Investigating the characteristics of the gut microbiome in health and disease in the pediatric stage is important for a better understanding of human health and well-being. More research is needed to identify the structural, morphological, and functional changes in the gut microbiota, as well as the state of eubiosis and dysbiosis that affect children and adolescents by genetics, environmental factors such as diet, drugs and epigenetics factors. This will enhance our understanding of dysbiosis mechanisms and explore therapeutic approaches to restore microbiota balance in gastrointestinal conditions. Therefore, in this Article Collection we will focus on studies related to these topics.