Title:The Role of the Gut Microbiota and Microbial Metabolites in the Pathogenesis
of Alzheimer’s Disease
Volume: 22
Issue: 4
Author(s): Yi Wang*
Affiliation:
- School of Agriculture and Food Sciences, University of Queensland, Keyhole Road, St Lucia, Queensland 4067,
Australia
Keywords:
Alzheimer’s disease, gut microbiota, central nervous system, brain-gut-microbiota axis, β-amyloid, prion.
Abstract: Alzheimer’s disease is a neurodegenerative disease that causes memory loss, cognitive dysfunction
and dementia. It is a multifactorial disease involving a wide range of pathological factors that
have yet to be fully understood. As proposed by scientists and supported by a growing amount of evidence
in recent years, the gut microbiota plays an important role in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s
disease via a constant bidirectional communication through the brain-gut-microbiota axis, which is a
multifunctional network involving the nervous system and the peripheral circulatory system. This
communication pathway facilitates the exchange of information and signals between the brain and the
gut, such as microbe-derived metabolites and neurotransmitters, which allows gut microbes to influence
the central nervous system. This review summarizes recent research findings on the pathological
risk factors of Alzheimer’s disease, the brain-gut-microbiota axis, the role of gut microbe-derived
products in neurological disorders, and clinical/preclinical studies investigating the role of the gut microbiota
in Alzheimer’s disease. In addition, some suggestions for future research are proposed.
