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A Gut-on-a-Chip Model to Study the Gut Microbiome-Nervous System Axis
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Connection between gut microbiome and brain development in preterm infants

Jing Lu1, Erika C Claud1

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, University of Chicago, Pritzker School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois.

Developmental Psychobiology
|November 22, 2018
PubMed

Insights

Gut microbiome dysbiosis in preterm infants impacts brain development and neurological outcomes. Optimizing early gut microbiota colonization may improve neurodevelopment and prevent related diseases.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiome research
  • Neuroscience
  • Neonatal health

Background:

  • Gut microbiome dysbiosis in preterm infants is linked to necrotizing enterocolitis, sepsis, and adverse neurological outcomes.
  • Early life presents critical developmental windows for both the gut microbiota and the nervous system.
  • Preterm infants offer a unique opportunity to study the microbiome-brain axis during development.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review factors influencing neonatal gut microbiota assembly.
  • To examine the role of dysbiosis in preterm infants' neuroinflammation and neurodevelopmental disorders.
  • To explore emerging pathways connecting the gut microbiome and brain development.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature on neonatal gut microbiome assembly.
  • Analysis of studies on dysbiosis in preterm infants and its neurological consequences.
  • Discussion of animal models (e.g., humanized gnotobiotic models) and antibiotic exposure effects on brain development.

Main Results:

  • Dysbiosis contributes to neuroinflammation and neurodevelopmental issues in preterm infants.
  • Specific pathways linking gut microbiome alterations to brain development are being elucidated.
  • Current models provide insights into the impact of microbiome manipulation on brain function.

Conclusions:

  • Optimizing the early-life microbiome is crucial for preterm infant brain development.
  • Understanding the microbiome-brain axis is key to developing targeted therapies.
  • Interventions aimed at the gut microbiome can protect against prematurity-related neurodevelopmental diseases.

Keywords:
brainmicrobiomeneurodevelopmentpreterm

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