AUTHOR=Wang Yu , Hang Chengcheng , Hu Jun , Li Chen , Zhan Canyang , Pan Jiarong , Yuan Tianming 

TITLE=Role of gut-brain axis in neurodevelopmental impairment of necrotizing enterocolitis

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Neuroscience

VOLUME=17

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fnins.2023.1059552

DOI=10.3389/fnins.2023.1059552

ISSN=1662-453X

ABSTRACT=<p>Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a common gastrointestinal disease of preterm infants with high morbidity and mortality. In survivors of NEC, one of the leading causes of long-term morbidity is the development of severe neurocognitive injury. The exact pathogenesis of neurodevelopmental delay in NEC remains unknown, but microbiota is considered to have dramatic effects on the development and function of the host brain <italic>via</italic> the gut-brain axis. In this review, we discuss the characteristics of microbiota of NEC, the impaired neurological outcomes, and the role of the complex interplay between the intestinal microbiota and brain to influence neurodevelopment in NEC. The increasing knowledge of microbial-host interactions has the potential to generate novel therapies for manipulating brain development in the future.</p>