Perspectives on Manipulating the Microbiome to Modulate the Gut-Brain Axis: Mechanisms, Causality and Translation

Preclinical and clinical research streams continue to reinforce the important associations between the gut microbiota, brain development and function along with the implications for behaviour across the lifespan. Many of the key breakthroughs have come from experimental strategies using rodent models with an equivalent scope of research in humans to help distinguish causality from association still lagging behind. A wider array of model organisms may also need to be deployed to improve mechanistic insights. The way forward towards therapeutic targeting of the gut with psychobiotics designed to treat disorders of the brain thus presents both challenges and opportunities, with substantial progress required in the areas of mechanisms, causality and translation.