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. 2023 Jul;66(7):274-280.
doi: 10.3345/cep.2021.01550. Epub 2022 Nov 8.

Gut microbiota affects brain development and behavior

Gun-Ha Kim  1 , Jung-Ok Shim  2
Affiliations

Gut microbiota affects brain development and behavior

Gun-Ha Kim et al. Clin Exp Pediatr. 2023 Jul.

Abstract

The gut covers a large surface area of the body and faces various external factors. The brain works in concert with commensal microbes in the gut to efficiently process the enormous amount of chemical signals that enter the gut every day. This review discusses: (1) evidence that gut bacteria can alter brain development and behavior, (2) mechanisms by which gut bacteria communicate with the brain, (3) preclinical and clinical studies demonstrating the impact of gut microbiota on autism spectrum disorder, and (4) variables worth consideration by future research on gut bacteria.

Keywords: Autism; Brain; Development; Gut-brain axis; Microbiota.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of interest

No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

Figures

Fig. 1.
Fig. 1.
Factors affecting gut microbiota composition. AMP, antimicrobial peptide; IgA, immunoglobulin A; miRNA, microRNA.
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See this image and copyright information in PMC

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