Neuroactive microbial metabolites and human brain function: mechanisms, biomarkers, and clinical implications

In the rapidly evolving field of neurogastroenterology, mounting evidence highlights the profound influence of neuroactive microbial metabolites on human brain function. The gut-brain axis has become a focal point for understanding how metabolites produced by gut microbiota, reshaped by factors such as diet, medications, and stress, interact with the central nervous system. Recent studies have delineated pathways by which short-chain fatty acids, tryptophan metabolites, bile acids, and other molecules alter blood–brain barrier integrity, microglial activation, neurotransmitter systems, and neural connectivity. Despite promising insights, critical questions remain regarding the reproducibility of findings, individual susceptibility, and translation to clinical practice. There remains a significant gap in mapping specific metabolite signatures to neuropsychiatric phenotypes, as well as understanding how genetic and environmental factors modulate these effects.This Research Topic aims to advance the field by assembling cutting-edge research that clarifies the mechanistic links between human microbial metabolites and brain structure, function, and disease. We seek to identify novel biomarkers and elucidate causal pathways underpinning the impact of metabolites on brain development, cognition, mood, and neurodegeneration. By integrating discovery science with clinical applications, the collection will foster innovative approaches for diagnosis, prevention, and intervention in neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders.To gather further insights into the mechanistic and clinical implications of neuroactive microbial metabolites in human brain health, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:• Identification and validation of microbial metabolite biomarkers in brain disorders• Mechanistic studies on metabolite regulation of synaptic, glial, and blood–brain barrier function• Longitudinal and translational research connecting microbial metabolites to brain development and aging• Interactions between genetic susceptibility, environmental exposures, and metabolite-mediated brain outcomes• Novel therapeutic strategies targeting the microbiome-metabolite-brain axis in neuropsychiatric conditions• Ethical, methodological, and confounding factors in human microbiome-neuroscience research Topic editors: José Antonio Estrada, Xiaobei Zhang, George D. Vavougios Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/81164/neuroactive-microbial-metabolites-and-human-brain-function-mechanisms-biomarkers-and-clinical-implications