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Overall Rebalancing of Gut Microbiota Is Key to Autism Intervention
Chang Lu1, Jiaqi Rong1, Changxing Fu1
1School of Psychology, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China.
Insights
Gut microbiota rebalancing shows promise for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). While Lactobacillus plantarum may help, microbiota transfer therapy (MMT) suggests overall gut balance is key for ASD interventions.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Microbiology
- Gastroenterology
Background:
- Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder with unknown causes and significant burdens.
- Children with ASD often exhibit gastrointestinal issues and altered gut microbiota (GM) compared to typically developing children.
- The gut-brain axis is increasingly recognized for its potential role in ASD development and progression.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review current research on interventions aimed at rebalancing gut microbiota in children with ASD.
- To evaluate the effectiveness of different GM modulation therapies for ASD.
- To explore the potential for personalized microbial interventions in ASD management.
Main Methods:
- Review of clinical trials and animal studies on gut microbiota interventions in ASD.
- Analysis of therapies including antibiotics, prebiotics, probiotics, and microbiota transfer therapy (MMT).
- Assessment of changes in neurological function, behavior, and comorbid symptoms following GM rebalancing.
Main Results:
- Lactobacillus plantarum identified as a potentially effective probiotic strain for ASD.
- Microbiota transfer therapy (MMT) demonstrated greater effectiveness, highlighting the importance of overall GM balance.
- Individual gut bacterial profiles and intervention effectiveness are crucial for improving ASD patient quality of life.
Conclusions:
- Modulating the gut microbiota presents a promising avenue for supplementary ASD treatment.
- Personalized microbial interventions, based on thorough GM assessment, could significantly benefit individuals with ASD.
- Focusing on the overall balance of the gut microbiota may be more critical than targeting specific strains.
Abstract:
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder with unclear etiology, and due to the lack of effective treatment, ASD patients bring enormous economic and psychological burden to families and society. In recent years, many studies have found that children with ASD are associated with gastrointestinal diseases, and the composition of intestinal microbiota (GM) is different from that of typical developing children. Thus, many researchers believe that the gut-brain axis may play an important role in the occurrence and development of ASD. Indeed, some clinical trials and animal studies have reported changes in neurological function, behavior, and comorbid symptoms of autistic children after rebalancing the composition of the GM through the use of antibiotics, prebiotics, and probiotics or microbiota transfer therapy (MMT). In view of the emergence of new therapies based on the modulation of GM, characterizing the individual gut bacterial profile evaluating the effectiveness of intervention therapies could help provide a better quality of life for subjects with ASD. This article reviews current studies on interventions to rebalance the GM in children with ASD. The results showed that Lactobacillus plantarum may be an effective strain for the probiotic treatment of ASD. However, the greater effectiveness of MMT treatment suggests that it may be more important to pay attention to the overall balance of the patient's GM. Based on these findings, a more thorough assessment of the GM is expected to contribute to personalized microbial intervention, which can be used as a supplementary treatment for ASD.
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