Microbiota Brain Axis

A Neuroscience Primer

1st Edition - February 22, 2024
Authors: Jane Foster, Gerard Clarke
Language: English
Paperback ISBN:
9 7 8 - 0 - 1 2 - 8 1 4 8 0 0 - 6
eBook ISBN:
9 7 8 - 0 - 1 2 - 8 1 4 8 0 1 - 3

Microbiota Brain Axis: A Neuroscience Primer provides neuroscience researchers with a comprehensive guide on how to conduct effective microbiota-brain research, understand the ap… Read more

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Microbiota Brain Axis: A Neuroscience Primer provides neuroscience researchers with a comprehensive guide on how to conduct effective microbiota-brain research, understand the appropriate methodologies, and collect and analyze microbiota data. The book begins with an introduction to the importance of the microbiota-brain communication in development and how microbiota impact neurodevelopmental disorders, mental health and neurodegeneration. In addition, the book discusses advances in microbiota analysis tools and techniques for neuroscience related research.

Cover image
Title page
Table of Contents
Copyright
About the authors
Foreword
Chapter 1. The gut-brain axis
Chapter 2. What is a healthy microbiome?
Introduction
Microbiota composition and function in healthy individuals
Microbiota diversity across body sites in healthy individuals
Interindividual differences in bacterial taxa in healthy individuals
Sex influences microbiota composition and function
Age influences microbiota composition and function
Diet influences microbiota composition and function
Key taxa in the healthy microbiome
Future directions
Chapter 3. Gene-environment factors influence microbiota composition, diversity, and function
Introduction
Animal models
Human studies
Future directions
Chapter 4. Microbiota to brain communication
Introduction
The vagus nerve in microbiota to brain communication
The enteric nervous system in microbiota to brain communication
The immune system in microbiota to brain communication
Neuroendocrine signaling in microbiota to brain communication
Microbial metabolites in microbiota to brain communication
Microbial regulation of tryptophan metabolism in microbiota to brain communication
Microbial microvesicles in microbiota to brain communication
Conclusions, perspectives, and future directions
Chapter 5. Microbiota influence behavior—Work in animal models
Overview
Behavior in germ-free mice
Antibiotic-related changes in microbiota influence behavior
The impact of stress on microbiota and behavior
The impact of diet on microbiota and behavior
Fecal matter transplantation alters behavior in recipient
Future directions
Chapter 6. Microbiota influence brain systems—Work in animal models
Introduction
Neuroimmune signaling
Neurotransmission
Neural plasticity
Future directions
Chapter 7. Microbiota in neurodevelopmental disorders
Introduction
Microbiota to brain communication in neurodevelopment
Microbiota during pregnancy
Stress and the postnatal microbiota
C-section
Preterm
Antibiotics
Mode of feeding
General
Microbiota in neurodevelopmental disorders
Conclusions, perspectives, and future directions
Chapter 8. Microbiota in psychiatry
Introduction
Microbes and mood in healthy people
Microbes in mood and anxiety disorders
Schizophrenia
Future directions
Chapter 9. Microbiota–brain interactions in aging and neurodegeneration
Introduction
The aging gut microbiome: focus on health
Unhealthy aging and the gut microbiome
Aging and the gut–brain axis
Microbiome and Parkinson's disease
Microbiome and Alzheimer's disease
Other neurodegenerative disorders: ALS/MS/Huntington's
Microbiome and aging: longevity in model organisms
Microbiome and aging: turning back the clock in preclinical models
Conclusions, perspectives, and future directions
Chapter 10. Pharmacological treatments and the microbiome—Antibiotics and nonantibiotic drugs
Introduction
Antibiotics impact the microbiome and the microbiota-brain axis
The impact of nonantibiotic drugs on microbiota
Future directions
Chapter 11. Microbial-related treatments
Introduction
Probiotics
Prebiotics
Synbiotics
Postbiotics
Fermented foods and diet
Fecal microbiota transplantation
Antibiotics
Conclusions, perspectives, and future directions
Chapter 12. Microbiota-related biomarkers for precision medicine and drug discovery
Introduction
Translational science
Microbiome biomarkers for precision health
Where to next?
Abbreviations
Index

Jane Foster

Dr. Jane Foster, Ph.D., is a Professor in the Department of Psychiatry, at the Center for Depression Research and Clinical Care at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, Texas. In the past 20 years, Dr. Foster has developed an internationally recognized translational research program that uses a ‘bench to bedside’ and back again approach to studying microbiota - brain and immune - brain systems. As one of the early proponents of the role of gut - brain axis in mental health, her lab produced important data demonstrating a role for the microbiome in brain development and behavior in animal studies and recently has extended this work to study the complex neurobiological underpinnings of microbiota - brain and neuroimmune systems in psychiatric illness in clinical populations. Her multidisciplinary expertise includes behavioral neuroscience, molecular biology, immunology, neuroimaging, microbiome, and bioinformatics in both preclinical and clinical research domains. Dr. Foster’s research program has developed high-quality analytical pipelines for biological data and novel analytical tools for integrating data across modalities.

Affiliations and expertise

Professor, Center for Depression Research and Clinical Care, Department of Psychiatry, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX

Gerard Clarke

Prof. Gerard Clarke, Ph.D., is a Professor of Neurobehavioral Science in the Department of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Science and a Principal Investigator in APC Microbiome Ireland at University College Cork. His research program includes a focus on translational biomarkers of stress-related neuropsychiatric disorders, the impact of the gut microbiome on brain and behavior across the life span, and microbial regulation of tryptophan metabolism. Key achievements of his lab in the generation of knowledge around the microbiota - gut - brain axis include the demonstration that the gut microbiome regulates the hippocampal serotonergic system in a sex-dependent manner, findings that paved the way for numerous lines of inquiry on the effects of the gut microbiome on neurodevelopment, brain function, and behavior. He is regularly included in Clarivate Analytics Highly Cited Researchers list, placing him among the world’s top one percent of researchers by citation. His current approach is based on advancing frontier knowledge in microbiome research to yield potential new therapeutic targets for the effective treatment of the central nervous system and gastrointestinal disorders.

Affiliations and expertise

Lecturer, Department of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioural Science and Principal Investigator, APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland

Life Sciences

Physical Sciences & Engineering

Social Sciences & Humanities

Health