"Sentinel or accomplice": gut microbiota and microglia crosstalk in disorders of gut-brain interaction

Haonan Zheng1,2, Cunzheng Zhang1,2, Jindong Zhang1,2

  • 1Department of Gastroenterology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing 100191, China.

Protein & Cell
|April 19, 2023
PubMed

Insights

The gut microbiota and microglia interact to influence brain-gut interactions in disorders like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), offering new therapeutic avenues, especially for patients with mental health conditions.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Gastroenterology
  • Microbiology

Background:

  • Disorders of Gut-Brain Interaction (DGBI) stem from abnormal brain-gut communication.
  • The gut microbiota significantly influences this interaction.
  • Microglia, the central nervous system's immune cells, are implicated in neurological diseases.

Conclusions:

  • The gut microbiota-microglia axis is a key factor in DGBI pathogenesis.
  • Targeting this axis presents a promising therapeutic strategy for DGBI.
  • This approach holds potential for treating DGBI in patients with comorbid psychiatric conditions.

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