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Fecal Microbiota Transplantation in Autism Spectrum Disorder
Youran Li1, Yizhong Wang1,2, Ting Zhang1,2
1Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Shanghai Children's Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China.
Insights
Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) shows promise for improving gastrointestinal and neurobehavioral symptoms in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This approach targets the gut microbiota and its connection to the brain, offering a potential new avenue for ASD treatment.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Microbiology
- Gastroenterology
Background:
- Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition with increasing global incidence.
- Children with ASD frequently exhibit gastrointestinal issues alongside core neurobehavioral symptoms.
- The gut microbiota communicates with the brain via the microbiota-gut-brain axis, influencing neurological function.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the current evidence on fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) as a treatment for ASD.
- To explore the role of gut microbiota and metabolic dysregulation in ASD pathogenesis.
- To evaluate the efficacy of FMT in ameliorating both gastrointestinal and neurobehavioral symptoms in ASD.
Main Methods:
- Review of recent scientific literature focusing on FMT and its application in ASD.
- Analysis of studies investigating gut microbiota composition and metabolic profiles in children with ASD.
- Examination of the mechanisms through which FMT may impact the microbiota-gut-brain axis.
Main Results:
- Children with ASD demonstrate significant alterations in gut microbiota and metabolic function.
- Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) has shown effectiveness in improving gastrointestinal symptoms in ASD.
- FMT also demonstrates potential in alleviating neurobehavioral symptoms associated with ASD.
Conclusions:
- FMT represents a promising therapeutic strategy for managing ASD symptoms.
- Modulating the gut microbiota through FMT may offer a novel approach to treating ASD.
- Further research is warranted to fully elucidate the long-term effects and optimal protocols for FMT in ASD.
Abstract:
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a group of neurodevelopmental disorders that begin in infancy. In recent years, the incidence of ASD in the world is increasing year by year. At present, the etiology and pathogenesis of ASD are not clear, and effective treatments are still lacking. In addition to neurobehavioral symptoms, children with ASD often have obvious gastrointestinal symptoms. Gut microbiota is a large microbial community in the human gut, which is closely related to the nervous system and can affect brain development and behavior through the neuroendocrine, neuroimmune and autonomic nervous systems, forming a microbiota-gut-brain axis connection. Recent studies have shown that children with ASD have significant gut microbiota and metabolic disorders, and fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) is expected to improve ASD-related symptoms by regulating gut microbiota and metabolism. This review paper will therefore focus on FMT in the treatment of ASD, and FMT is effective in improving gastrointestinal and neurobehavioral symptoms in children with ASD.
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