Exploring Gut Neuroimmunology: focus on the enteric nervous system in health and disease

The gut-brain axis represents a complex communication network linking the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and the central nervous system (CNS). A core component of this system is the enteric nervous system (ENS), often referred to as the "second brain," which autonomously governs gut functions and interacts with the gut microbiome, mucosal immunity, and the autonomic nervous system. Recent research highlights the significance of microbiome-host interactions, gut permeability, and the integrity of pivotal barriers, including the gut epithelial, blood-nerve, and blood-brain barriers in maintaining neurological health. Dysregulation in these systems has been implicated in various neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson's disease, that strongly warrants further research and systematic synthesis of knowledge concerning gut neuroimmunology and gut-brain communication. This field holds transformative potential for translational and clinical science, promising novel therapeutic approaches.

This research topic aims to elucidate mechanisms underlying the gut-brain axis, with a particular focus on the enteric nervous system's contributions to both health and disease. By addressing gaps in our understanding of gut microbiome dynamics, mucosal immunity, and their interplay with the ENS, we seek to uncover how disruptions in gut permeability and gut-brain signaling contribute to various neurological disorders, with a focus on neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's disease. Recent advances in gut neuroimmunology and microbiome research offer promising opportunities for exploring these interactions.

We welcome studies employing innovative methodologies to map microbiome-host interactions and examine barrier integrity both in the morphological and physiological sense, including the gut epithelial, blood-nerve, and blood-brain barriers, and investigate the autonomic and enteric nervous systems' roles in maintaining neural health. This collection aims to bridge basic research with clinical applications, fostering the development of new diagnostics and therapies to treat neurological disorders.

We particularly welcome Original Research and Review articles that focus on, but are not limited to the following subjects:

- Microbiome-host interactions in Parkinson's and other neurodegenerative diseases

- Peculiarities of mucosal immune mechanisms in the healthy and diseased nervous system

- Direct and indirect microbiome - ENS crosstalk in health and disease

- The role of the ENS in the development of neurodegenerative diseases

- Gastrointestinal and microbiome-related biomarkers of neurodegenerative diseases

- The role of barrier integrity, including epithelial, endothelial, and neural barriers, on gastrointestinal and neurological health

- The role of barrier integrity in the context of the Gut-Brain axis

Keywords: gut microbiome, enteric nervous system, neurodegenerative disease, gut neuroimmunology, autonomic nervous system, Parkinson disease

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.