Fecal Microbiota Transplantation: A New Therapeutic Attempt from the Gut to the Brain

Abstract

Gut dysbacteriosis is closely related to various intestinal and extraintestinal diseases. Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) is a biological therapy that entails transferring the gut microbiota from healthy individuals to patients in order to reconstruct the intestinal microflora in the latter. It has been proved to be an effective treatment for recurrent Clostridium difficile infection. Studies show that the gut microbiota plays an important role in the pathophysiology of neurological and psychiatric disorders through the microbiota-gut-brain axis. Therefore, reconstruction of the healthy gut microbiota is a promising new strategy for treating cerebral diseases. We have reviewed the latest research on the role of gut microbiota in different nervous system diseases as well as FMT in the context of its application in neurological, psychiatric, and other nervous system-related diseases (Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, autism spectrum disorder, bipolar disorder, hepatic encephalopathy, neuropathic pain, etc.).

Figure 1

Current applications of FMT in various neurological and psychiatric diseases. Normal gut microbiota plays an important role in maintaining the functional stability of the gut-brain axis. Excessive reproduction of pathogenic bacteria or reduction of probiotics can lead to gut microbiota disorder and mediate a variety of neurological and psychological diseases. As an important therapeutic method to reconstruct gut microbiota, FMT has been tried to be applied to a variety of diseases related to gut-brain axis.