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Review
. 2024 Dec 17;16(24):4355.
doi: 10.3390/nu16244355.

Maternal Gut Microbiome-Mediated Epigenetic Modifications in Cognitive Development and Impairments: A New Frontier for Therapeutic Innovation

Shabnam Nohesara  1 , Hamid Mostafavi Abdolmaleky  1   2 , Faith Dickerson  3 , Adrián A Pinto-Tomás  4 , Dilip V Jeste  5 , Sam Thiagalingam  1   6
Affiliations
Review

Maternal Gut Microbiome-Mediated Epigenetic Modifications in Cognitive Development and Impairments: A New Frontier for Therapeutic Innovation

Shabnam Nohesara et al. Nutrients. .

Abstract

Cognitive impairment in various mental illnesses, particularly neuropsychiatric disorders, has adverse functional and clinical consequences. While genetic mutations and epigenetic dysregulations of several genes during embryonic and adult periods are linked to cognitive impairment in mental disorders, the composition and diversity of resident bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract-shaped by environmental factors-also influence the brain epigenome, affecting behavior and cognitive functions. Accordingly, many recent studies have provided evidence that human gut microbiota may offer a potential avenue for improving cognitive deficits. In this review, we provide an overview of the relationship between cognitive impairment, alterations in the gut microbiome, and epigenetic alterations during embryonic and adult periods. We examine how various factors beyond genetics-such as lifestyle, age, and maternal diet-impact the composition, diversity, and epigenetic functionality of the gut microbiome, consequently influencing cognitive performance. Additionally, we explore the potential of maternal gut microbiome signatures and epigenetic biomarkers for predicting cognitive impairment risk in older adults. This article also explores the potential roles of nutritional deficiencies in programming cognitive disorders during the perinatal period in offspring, as well as the promise of gut microbiome-targeted therapeutics with epigenetic effects to prevent or alleviate cognitive dysfunctions in infants, middle-aged adults, and older adults. Unsolved challenges of gut microbiome-targeted therapeutics in mitigating cognitive dysfunctions for translation into clinical practice are discussed, lastly.

Keywords: DNA methylation; cognition; gut microbiota; gut–brain axis; histone modifications; miRNAs.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Association between various factors (nutritional interventions, age, antibiotics, and environmental factors such as chemicals), changes in the composition of the gut microbiome, and cognitive performance.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Gut microbiome-targeted therapeutics for improving cognitive impairments.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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