Editorial Material
Microbiology
Maude M. David
Summary: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex disorder influenced by genetic and environmental factors. Studies have suggested a role of the gut microbiome in modulating ASD phenotype, but results remain inconsistent. Future research will require new experimental methodologies to better understand this relationship.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Zuzanna Lewandowska-Pietruszka, Magdalena Figlerowicz, Katarzyna Mazur-Melewska
Summary: This review examines the gut microbiota in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and interventions targeting microbiota modulation. The findings suggest that ASD children have microbiota alterations related to behavioral and gastrointestinal abnormalities. Probiotics and microbiota transfer therapy show promise in alleviating symptoms. However, further research is needed to determine their efficacy, and comprehensive standardized studies are required to understand the complex mechanisms linking the gut microbiota to ASD. Nonetheless, these findings offer potential therapeutic avenues for improving the quality of life for individuals with ASD.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Mingxing Lou, Aihua Cao, Cuiyuan Jin, Kai Mi, Xiyue Xiong, Zhaoyang Zeng, Xu Pan, Jinlong Qie, Shangfeng Qiu, Yaofang Niu, Hao Liang, Yanping Liu, Lin Chen, Zhi Liu, Qing Zhao, Xiyan Qiu, Yuanxiang Jin, Xiaoqi Sheng, Zhibin Hu, Gulei Jin, Jingshi Liu, Xingyin Liu, Yichao Wang
Summary: Recent studies have revealed the developmental characteristics of gut microbiota in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), showing a distinct and progressive deviation in microbiota development, as well as extensive microbial changes before the age of 3.
Review
Psychiatry
Annaluisa Ranieri, Cristina Mennitti, Noemi Falcone, Ilaria La Monica, Maria Rosaria Di Iorio, Lorella Tripodi, Alessandro Gentile, Maria Vitale, Raffaella Pero, Lucio Pastore, Valeria D'Argenio, Olga Scudiero, Barbara Lombardo
Summary: Autism spectrum disorder is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by impairments in social interactions and communication skills. Recent studies have found a link between alterations in the intestinal microbiota and neurobehavioral symptoms in children with autism spectrum disorder. Physical activity and exercise interventions have been shown to improve communication, social interaction, and gut microbiota composition.
FRONTIERS IN PSYCHIATRY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Qiang Zhang, Rong Zou, Min Guo, Mengmeng Duan, Quan Li, Huajun Zheng
Summary: The study found significant differences in gut microbiota between adults with ASD and obese adults, with certain bacterial genera significantly increased in ASD patients and certain species enriched in obesity. Some species identified may serve as predictive biomarkers for obesity.
Review
Microbiology
Zahra Dossaji, Adam Khattak, Kyaw Min Tun, Mark Hsu, Kavita Batra, Annie S. S. Hong
Summary: There is a high prevalence of gastrointestinal-related symptoms among children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and these symptoms are associated with the severity of behavioral symptoms. Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) is a potential therapeutic strategy for addressing gut microbiome dysregulation in pediatric patients with ASD. A systematic review found that FMT led to significant improvements in both behavioral and gastrointestinal symptoms in these patients. These findings suggest that FMT holds promise as an intervention for treating pediatric patients with autism.
Article
Microbiology
YuShuang Xu, Yihua Wang, JinShuang Xu, Yu Song, BingQiang Liu, ZhiFan Xiong
Summary: This study reanalyzed raw sequence and metadata from 10 studies to analyze the alteration of fecal microbiota in individuals with ASD. Results showed no significant difference in alpha diversity but a significant difference in composition structure of fecal microbiota between ASD and control group. Machine learning analyses identified 12 genera as potential microbial biomarkers for diagnosing ASD with promising results.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Jie Li, Huidi Wang, Wei Qing, Feitong Liu, Nianyi Zeng, Fan Wu, Yiya Shi, Xuxuan Gao, Ming Cheng, Hailong Li, Wei Shen, Fangguo Meng, Yan He, Muxuan Chen, Zhuang Li, Hongwei Zhou, Qian Wang
Summary: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is linked to gut dysbiosis and gastrointestinal symptoms. Research suggests that the congenitally immature intestine may play a role in shaping the gut microbiota and neurodevelopment associated with autism.
BRAIN BEHAVIOR AND IMMUNITY
(2022)
Review
Nutrition & Dietetics
Martina Lombardi, Jacopo Troisi
Summary: Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by genetic and environmental factors, with gut dysbiosis possibly contributing to autism symptoms. Current studies on microbial-based and dietary interventions lack consistency and comparability, highlighting the need for standardized methods in future research.
Article
Immunology
Marcel van de Wouw, Calum J. Walsh, Giulia M. D. Vigano, Joshua M. Lyte, Marcus Boehme, Andreu Gual-Grau, Fiona Crispie, Aaron M. Walsh, Gerard Clarke, Timothy G. Dinan, Paul D. Cotter, John F. Cryan
Summary: Research shows that Kefir can improve repetitive behavior in a mouse model of autism, enhance immune response, and modulate gut microbiome composition.
BRAIN BEHAVIOR AND IMMUNITY
(2021)
Article
Psychiatry
Alan Patricio da Silva, Italla Maria Pinheiro Bezerra, Thaiany Pedrozo Campos Antunes, Matheus Paiva Emidio Cavalcanti, Luiz Carlos de Abreu
Summary: This study observed 16 children diagnosed with ASD who received ABA-based treatment, and found that there were improvements in their skill performance during the treatment period.
FRONTIERS IN PSYCHIATRY
(2023)
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Sungji Ha, Donghun Oh, Sunghee Lee, Jaewan Park, Jaeun Ahn, Sungku Choi, Keun-Ah Cheon
Summary: The study revealed differences in gut microbiota composition between children with ASD and typically developing children, showing higher levels of short-chain fatty acids and specific bacteria in the ASD group. Predicted pathways associated with ASD pathogenesis based on microbiota analysis may offer new insights into the diagnosis and treatment approaches for ASD patients.
Review
Psychology, Multidisciplinary
Chang Lu, Jiaqi Rong, Changxing Fu, Wenshi Wang, Jing Xu, Xing-Da Ju
Summary: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) patients have different intestinal microbiota composition from typical children, and rebalancing the microbiota may help improve ASD symptoms. Lactobacillus plantarum may be an effective probiotic, but rebalancing the microbiota through microbiota transfer therapy (MMT) could be more crucial.
FRONTIERS IN PSYCHOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Pediatrics
Hui Wang, Shu Liu, Liqing Xie, Jinhui Wang
Summary: This study revealed significant differences in gut microbiota structure between children with ASD and healthy controls in the southeastern coastal region of China through 16S rRNA gene sequencing and advanced bioinformatics analyses. Specific bacterial taxa and metabolic pathways were found to differ between the two groups, highlighting the importance of clinical interventions to address gastrointestinal and psychological symptoms in children with ASD, with fecal microbiota transplantation as a promising avenue for further research.
Article
Immunology
Hui Lv, Xiao Gu, Xingyue Shan, Tailin Zhu, Bingke Ma, Hao-Tian Zhang, Victorio Bambini-Junior, Tiantian Zhang, Wei-Guang Li, Xiaoling Gao, Fei Li
Summary: By utilizing nanotechnology, the study found that bumetanide can effectively alleviate social deficits associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), specifically within the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) region. Furthermore, the therapeutic effect of bumetanide was found to be dependent on microglia targeting in the mPFC.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Sara Gabriela Cifuentes, Maria Belen Prado, Marco Fornasini, Henry Cohen, Manuel Eduardo Baldeon, Paul Andres Cardenas
Summary: This study found that the addition of Saccharomyces boulardii to antibiotic therapy significantly reduced the abundance of antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs) in the gut, particularly those genes that confer resistance to lincosamides, tetracyclines, MLS-B, and a few genes in the beta-lactams class.
Article
Hematology
Manuel E. Baldeon, Augusto Maldonado, Miguel Ochoa-Andrade, Carolina Largo, Monica Pesantez, Marco Herdoiza, Gerardo Granja, Marco Bonifaz, Hugo Espejo, Francisco Mora, Patricio Abril-Lopez, Lady Karen Robles Armijo, Veronica Pacheco, Rafael Salazar, Steffy Reinthaller, Federico Zertuche, Marco Fornasini
Summary: The use of convalescent plasma (CP) as a complement to standard treatment in the early management of COVID-19 patients is safe and can decrease the length of hospitalization (LOH) and improve respiratory function.
TRANSFUSION MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Luis A. Moreno, Rosan Meyer, Sharon M. Donovan, Olivier Goulet, Jess Haines, Frans J. Kok, Pieter van't Veer
Summary: Flexitarian and territorial diversified diets (TDDs) offer an optimal balance between human and planetary health, reducing the risk of nutritional deficiencies and noncommunicable diseases while being more sustainable than traditional plant-based diets.
ADVANCES IN NUTRITION
(2022)
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Jessie L. Ellis, Mei Wang, Xueyan Fu, Christopher J. Fields, Sharon M. Donovan, Sarah L. Booth
Summary: Infants have low stores of vitamin K at birth, with breast milk containing much lower levels of vitamin K compared to formula milk. The mode of delivery also influences the total vitamin K in infants, with vaginally delivered infants having higher levels. In conclusion, feeding practices and delivery modes play a significant role in bacterial vitamin K production in the infant gut.
CURRENT DEVELOPMENTS IN NUTRITION
(2022)
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Miriam Aguilar-Lopez, Christine Wetzel, Alissa MacDonald, Thao T. B. Ho, Sharon M. Donovan
Summary: This study aimed to compare the metagenomic potential of the fecal microbiome of preterm infants consuming mother's own milk (MOM) with bovine milk-based fortifier versus preterm formula alone. The results showed that pathways for fatty acid and carbohydrate degradation were significantly higher in the MOM group compared to the formula group. Taxonomically, members of the phylum Actinobacteria and the genus Bifidobacterium were higher in preterm infants exposed to MOM.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF CLINICAL NUTRITION
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Igor Splichal, Sharon M. Donovan, Zdislava Kindlova, Zbynek Stranak, Vera Neuzil Bunesova, Marek Sinkora, Katerina Polakova, Barbora Valaskova, Alla Splichalova
Summary: Gnotobiotic animals with defined microbiota were used to study host-microbiota and microbiota-microbiota interferences. Preterm germ-free piglets were mono-associated with probiotic Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis BB-12 (BB12) to prevent the consequences of Salmonella Typhimurium infection. BB12 partially ameliorated the inflammatory response to LT2 infection by preserving goblet cell density in the colon and decreasing the expression of inflammatory markers in the jejunum, ileum, colon, and plasma.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Tianying Cai, Carolyn Sutter, Sharon M. Donovan, Barbara H. Fiese
Summary: The study aimed to investigate the relationship between mother-infant sleep duration for the first 2 years of life, whether this relationship changes over time, and the factors influencing this relationship. The parents of 464 infants provided sleep duration and health information at 3, 12, 18, and 24 months postpartum. The findings showed two sleep profiles (low maternal sleep and average maternal sleep) and a transition from low to average sleep profile after 12 months. The study highlights the importance of establishing healthy sleep routines for mothers and infants in the first year to promote long-term sleep hygiene.
JOURNAL OF DEVELOPMENTAL AND BEHAVIORAL PEDIATRICS
(2023)
Letter
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
M. Fornasini, J. Robles-Rodriguez, M. E. Baldeon
Article
Neurosciences
James T. Morton, Dong-Min Jin, Robert H. Mills, Yan Shao, Gibraan Rahman, Daniel McDonald, Qiyun Zhu, Metin Balaban, Yueyu Jiang, Kalen Cantrell, Antonio Gonzalez, Julie Carmel, Linoy Mia Frankiensztajn, Sandra Martin-Brevet, Kirsten Berding, Brittany D. Needham, Maria Fernanda Zurita, Maude David, Olga V. Averina, Alexey S. Kovtun, Antonio Noto, Michele Mussap, Mingbang Wang, Daniel N. Frank, Ellen Li, Wenhao Zhou, Vassilios Fanos, Valery N. Danilenko, Dennis P. Wall, Paul Cardenas, Manuel E. Baldeon, Sebastien Jacquemont, Omry Koren, Evan Elliott, Ramnik J. Xavier, Sarkis K. Mazmanian, Rob Knight, Jack A. Gilbert, Sharon M. Donovan, Trevor D. Lawley, Bob Carpenter, Richard Bonneau, Gaspar Taroncher-Oldenburg
Summary: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by diverse cognitive, behavioral, and communication impairments. This study proposes a framework using Bayesian differential ranking algorithm to identify ASD-associated molecular and taxa profiles across various datasets. The findings suggest a functional architecture in the gut-brain axis (GBA) that correlates with ASD phenotypes and involves microbial species in specific genera. Additionally, temporal changes in the microbiome composition were strongly associated with ASD phenotypes.
NATURE NEUROSCIENCE
(2023)
Review
Nutrition & Dietetics
Yuting Fan, Arden L. McMath, Sharon M. Donovan
Summary: This review examines the impact of milk oligosaccharides (MOS) on brain and neurocognitive development in early life, synthesizing current literature from preclinical models and human observational studies. The study found that fucosylated and sialylated milk oligosaccharides play crucial roles in learning, memory, executive functioning, and brain structural development. However, limitations were identified, such as overlooking the complexity of naturally occurring MOS compositions and challenges in quantifying MOS intake in human studies.
Editorial Material
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Gabriel Luz Wallau
LANCET GLOBAL HEALTH
(2023)
Article
Allergy
Paul A. Cardenas, Michael J. Cox, Saffron A. Willis-Owen, Miriam F. Moffatt, William O. Cookson, Philip J. Cooper
Summary: In this longitudinal study, we found that the diversity of respiratory microbiota in infants increased with age. Infants with wheezing had lower species richness compared to healthy infants at 7 months, but no significant difference was observed at 12 or 24 months.
FRONTIERS IN ALLERGY
(2023)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Marco Fornasini, Ivan Sisa, Manuel E. Baldeon
Summary: Before the COVID-19 pandemic, chronic noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) were a significant burden for low and middle-income countries. Patients with NCDs had a higher risk of COVID-19 and experienced worse clinical outcomes. In Ecuador, we observed the highest increase in mortality rates during the pandemic for myocardial infarction (AMI), type-2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and hypertension (HT). These significant increases in mortality may be attributed to factors related to COVID-19, healthcare services, and patients with NCDs.
ANNALS OF GLOBAL HEALTH
(2023)
Article
Infectious Diseases
A. Carrazco-Montalvo, I. Armendariz-Castillo, C. L. Tello, D. Morales, R. Armas-Gonzalez, D. Guizado-Herrera, A. Leon-Sosa, D. Ramos-Sarmiento, B. Fuertes, P. Cardenas, S. Marquez, B. Prado-Vivar, J. J. Guadalupe, B. Gutierrez, M. Grunauer, G. Trueba, P. Rojas-Silva, V. Barragan L. Patino
Summary: The National Institute of Research and Public Health in Ecuador has reported the first local case of the Omicron variant. The variant was detected in a fully vaccinated individual who had returned from South Africa and tested negative on RT-PCR. The article presents the cumulative frequency of different variants in Ecuador and provides a phylogenetic analysis of the new Omicron variant.
NEW MICROBES AND NEW INFECTIONS
(2022)
