Of bowels, brain and behavior: A role for the gut microbiota in psychiatric comorbidities in irritable bowel syndrome

Background The gastrointestinal microbiota has emerged as a key regulator of gut-brain axis signalling with important implications for neurogastroenterology. There is continuous bidirectional communication between the gut and brain facilitated by neuronal, endocrine, metabolic, immune pathways. influences these pathways via several mechanisms. Studies have shown compositional functional alterations in stress-related psychiatric disorders. Gut reconfigurations are also feature irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), disorder sharing high levels comorbidity including both anxiety depression. It remains unclear how IBS align core symptoms comorbidities. Methods In this review, we highlight common disparate features microbial signatures well associated suggest that patients either IBS, depression or anxiety, alone comorbid, present composition harbor immune, serotonergic system relevant to pathophysiology comorbid conditions. Key results Research illustrated utility fecal transplantation animal models, expanding evidence base potential causal role disorder-specific compositions symptom set expression. Moreover, an exciting study Constante colleagues issue highlights possibility counteracting microbiota-associated aberrant behavioral phenotype probiotic yeast, Saccharomyces boulardii CNCM I-745. Conclusions inferences Such data therapeutic targeting valuable strategy management IBS.