Gut microbiome-mediated regulation of neuroinflammation

The intestinal microbiome influences neuroinflammatory disease in animal models, and recent studies have identified multiple pathways of communication between the gut and brain. Microbes are able to produce metabolites that enter circulation, can alter inflammatory tone in the intestines, periphery, and central nervous system (CNS), and affect trafficking of immune cells into the brain. Additionally, the vagus nerve that connects the enteric nervous system to the CNS is implicated in modulation of brain immune responses. As preclinical research findings and concepts are applied to humans, the potential impacts of the gut microbiome–brain axis on neuroinflammation represent exciting frontiers for further investigation.