About this Research Topic

Background

In the last years, advances in omic technologies, such as 16S rDNA gene sequencing, metabolomics, and proteomics, have recently shown the association of the early gut microbiota not only with gastrointestinal disorders, but also with diseases affecting other distal organs, like the central nervous system (CNS), suggesting the existence of the “gut microbiota-brain axis” as a complex pathways system capable to regulate mood, behaviour and neurocognitive development. Despite the recognized importance of proper gut microbiota assembly for child's future health, these connections between the early-life gut microbiota and neurocognitive development in humans have not been thoroughly explored so far. Furthermore, most of this knowledge has been obtained from studies in animal models, including GF, antibiotic-treated, genetically modified, or humanised mice, and behavioural models, suggesting that the gut microbiota may serve as a biomarker to be explored and a target for mental diseases prevention and treatment.

Complex communication between gut microbiota and brain is established during prenatal and early postnatal stages, in which profound changes in microbial colonization and cognitive development coincides in time but asynchronously regarding attaining peak and maturity. Although brain development begins in utero and continues during into adolescence, critical steps for establishment of cognitive, emotional and behaviour abilities occurs during early postnatal life, including neurulation, neurogenesis, neural migration, gliogenesis, synaptogenesis, myelination and synapse pruning.

In parallel to these processes, profound shifts in gut microbiota composition have been identified, where newborn gut microbiota is characterized by high abundance of facultative anaerobic bacteria, changing to strict anaerobes during the transition from milk to solid food and showing, around 1-3 years of age, a similar diversity to adult. Evidence from both animal and human studies support the mentioned parallel developmental trajectory between gut microbiota colonization and brain development, and thereby the mechanisms behind this early process could prevent future neurocognitive alterations in adults.

Due to the increased interest in knowing the gut microbiome-brain axis interaction during early life, we propose this Research Topic to increasing evidence of the diverse effect of the gut microbiome on neurodevelopment disorders. The objective of this Research Topic is to collate a series of reviews, commentaries, and research articles about:

- The nutritional and healthy microbial environment during perinatal and early life to reduce the risk of non-communicable and mental diseases later in life.

- The effect of the gut microbiome on brain functions settings including, but not limited to, synaptic functions, neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative diseases.

- The effect of prebiotic, probiotic, parabiotics and postbiotics supplementation on neurodevelopment during early life.

- Congenital or neonatal infection influence on early brain development through the gut-brain axis.

Keywords: Gut Microbiota, Neurodevelopment, Pediatric Population, Early Nutrition, Neurogenesis

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.

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