Gut Microbiota Shapes Brain Behavior for Health: a deep source of potential therapeutic targets
Recent research developments demonstrated a new paradigm, i.e., the role of the digestive track (oral/gut) microbiota in the control of brain behavior, functions, and health. Potentially important mechanisms are related to intestinal biology, such as barrier function, the enteric nervous system, hormone secretion, and permeability, to cite a few. From a therapeutic point of view, considering the gut microbiota as a potential target to maintain brain health and cognition and treat the corresponding diseases would be a new avenue in clinical practice. However, there is a dramatic need to first understand the mechanisms at play before proposing therapeutic strategies. The large panel of brain diseases, including cognition, behavioral, metabolic, and neurodegenerative diseases, remains mostly orphaned of efficient strategies. The current knowledge generated from recent studies about the oral/gut microbiota, the advent of state-of-the-art technologies to characterize and quantify the host microbiome, and the huge genomic potential of the microbiome, i.e., 10-50 times higher than the host genome, strongly highlight the importance of disentangling the complexity of the gut microbiome before launching therapeutic strategies. It is noteworthy that the corresponding strategies have an advantage over regular systemic pharmacological strategies, which are to be considered almost topical, thereby dramatically reducing the risk of deleterious secondary effects. This Article Collection aims to add to this knowledge and understanding of this field.
Edited by
Prof. Vincent Blasco-Baque(Inserm/Université Paul Sabatier)
Prof. Remy Burcelin(Inserm)