Emerging Roles of Bile Acids in Neuroinflammation

Area of Science:

• Neuroimmunology
• Gastroenterology
• Metabolomics

Background:

• Bile acids are increasingly recognized as signaling molecules beyond digestion.
• They influence immune responses and can access the central nervous system (CNS).
• Neuroinflammation is implicated in neurodegenerative and neuroimmune diseases.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the connection between bile acids and CNS inflammation.
• To explore mechanistic insights and the gut-microbiome-bile acid-brain axis.
• To discuss therapeutic potential and biomarker roles of bile acids.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of current evidence.
• Analysis of mechanistic insights into bile acid signaling in the CNS.
• Examination of disease-specific alterations and therapeutic strategies.

Main Results:

• Bile acids modulate glial activation, cytokine production, and neuronal survival.
• Alterations in bile acid profiles are linked to neurodegenerative diseases.
• The gut-microbiome-bile acid-brain axis is a key regulatory pathway.

Conclusions:

• Bile acids play a significant role in neuroinflammation.
• Therapeutic targeting of bile acid pathways shows promise for CNS disorders.
• Further research is needed to map receptors and standardize profiling for clinical application.