Neurodegenerative Diseases: From Gut-Brain Axis to Brain Microbiome

While there are growing line of evidence for the role of the gut microbiome in different neurodegenerative diseases, the role and even the existence of the brain microbiome is only starting to be uncovered. Indeed, the brain was long considered to be a sterile environment and only recent studies have shown the presence of bacteria and fungi in the human central nervous system, and even inhabiting brain cells. The so called “brain microbiome” is appealing and immediately drew attention, since it is highly possible that microorganisms could have profound direct effects on a variety of processes in the brain, with the non-limiting examples of neurodegenerative and neurodevelopmental diseases triggering and progression. However, the brain microbiome remains poorly understood and even despite recent technological advances, is has only began to be explored.

This Research Topic will gather contributions that seek to advance the understanding of the role of the brain microbiome as well as the gut-brain axis in neurodegenerative diseases.

Primarily, we are interested in showcasing the latest advances in brain microbial communities and bacterial virulence factors identified in the central nervous system, and secondary in the showing a new role of gut microbiota and its application in theoretical modelling of neurodegenerative diseases

This Research Topic aims at gathering a mix of original research (observational, experimental and theoretical studies) and other types of contributions (e.g. perspectives, reviews and mini-reviews) focused on the following themes:
• High-throughput analysis to discover the brain microbiome in neurodegenerative diseases
• Meta omics analysis of brain microbiome in neurodegenerative diseases
• Brain microbiota and drug metabolism
• Development of novel methods for studying the brain microbiome
• Identification and functional assessment of PAMPs in the central nervous systems of patients with neurodegenerative diseases
• CSF microbiome biomarkers for neurodegeneration
• Microbiota and protein misfolding
• Gut microbiome in neurodegenerative diseases
• Virome, phagobiome and mycobiome in neurodegenerative diseases


Topic Editor George Tetz is employed and involved with the following commercial affiliations: TGV-Biomed, Inc
CLS-Therapeutics, Inc. The remaining topic editors declare that the this research topic is conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.