Gut microbiota-brain axis

The gut microbiota-brain axis describes a complex, bidirectional information network connecting the gut microbiota and the brain through neural (including vagus nerve), endocrine, immune, and metabolic pathways. This axis influences brain development, cognition, emotional regulation, immune function, and barrier integrity (both gut and blood-brain barriers); disruptions in the axis have been linked to neurodegenerative diseases, psychiatric disorders, and functional gut disorders. As a concept, the gut microbiota-brain axis is being targeted therapeutically via strategies that modify the microbial community (e.g., probiotics, prebiotics, FMT) or its metabolites, rather than through targeting a single molecule or receptor. The axis is neither a discrete molecular entity nor a canonical drug target, but rather a physiological and microbiological network implicated in health and disease.

Other names

Gut-brain axisMicrobiota-gut-brain axisMicrobiome-gut-brain axis

Modulation of gut microbial composition; Regulation of neuroactive metabolite production (e.g., SCFAs, neurotransmitters); Alteration of immune system signaling; Impact on neuroendocrine signaling (HPA axis)