Neural Regeneration Research ›› 2022, Vol. 17 ›› Issue (9): 1969-1970.doi: 10.4103/1673-5374.335150

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Perspective on the relationship between microbiota dysbiosis and neuroinflammation: probiotics as a treatment option

Chiao W. Ng, Zahoor A. Shah*   

  1. Department of Medicinal and Biological Chemistry, College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH, USA
  • Online:2022-09-15 Published:2022-03-05
  • Contact: Zahoor A. Shah, PhD, zahoor.shah@utoledo.edu.
  • Supported by:
    The work was partly supported by the grants from American Heart Association, No. 17AIREA33700076/ZAS/2017, and National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke of the National Institutes of Health, No. R01NS112642 (to ZAS).

Abstract: Introduction: In the 1680s, Antonie van Leewenhoek was the first to observe the differences in the human gut microbiome versus the oral cavity diversity, and it led to the birth of a new term, “microbiota”. Later, the link between the brain and the gut was observed to be facilitated by the vagus nerve, allowing for neurotransmitters secreted in the gastrointestinal tract to travel to the brain, directing signals that influence brain function. The gut microbiome is linked to various diseases ranging from autism spectrum disorder to Parkinson’s disease (PD) and is projected to be the new “disease-causing mechanism,” calling for interventions that can modulate gut microbiota and mitigate brain disorders. Gut dysbiosis is observed before and after the onset of various neurodegenerative diseases and often manifests itself into gut-related diseases such as; gut inflammation, chronic constipation, and colitis. Dysbiosis of the gut can be the outcome of neuroinflammatory signaling, and the phenomenon could possibly become a marker for neurodegenerative diseases. Based on the microbiota and its role in disease conditions, new and emerging therapeutic alternatives such as probiotics (Figure 1) and prebiotics are recommended, including the fiber and the gut bacterial products such as short-chain fatty acids.