Psychobiotics and fecal microbial transplantation for autism and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: microbiome modulation and therapeutic mechanisms

Min-Jin Kwak; Seung Hyun Kim; Hoo Hugo Kim; Rahul Tanpure; Johanna Inhyang Kim; Byong-Hun Jeon; Hyun-Kyung Park

doi:10.3389/fcimb.2023.1238005

Psychobiotics and fecal microbial transplantation for autism and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: microbiome modulation and therapeutic mechanisms

Front Cell Infect Microbiol. 2023 Jul 24:13:1238005. doi: 10.3389/fcimb.2023.1238005. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Min-Jin Kwak¹, Seung Hyun Kim², Hoo Hugo Kim³, Rahul Tanpure³, Johanna Inhyang Kim^{4

5}, Byong-Hun Jeon³, Hyun-Kyung Park^{2

5}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Agricultural Biotechnology and Research Institute of Agriculture and Life Science, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
² Department of Pediatrics, Hanyang University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
³ Department of Earth Resources and Environmental Engineering, Hanyang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
⁴ Department of Psychiatry, Hanyang University Medical Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
⁵ Clinical Research Institute of Developmental Medicine, Hanyang University Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea.

Abstract

Dysbiosis of the gut microbiome is thought to be the developmental origins of the host's health and disease through the microbiota-gut-brain (MGB) axis: such as immune-mediated, metabolic, neurodegenerative, and neurodevelopmental diseases. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are common neurodevelopmental disorders, and growing evidence indicates the contribution of the gut microbiome changes and imbalances to these conditions, pointing to the importance of considering the MGB axis in their treatment. This review summarizes the general knowledge of gut microbial colonization and development in early life and its role in the pathogenesis of ASD/ADHD, highlighting a promising therapeutic approach for ASD/ADHD through modulation of the gut microbiome using psychobiotics (probiotics that positively affect neurological function and can be applied for the treatment of psychiatric diseases) and fecal microbial transplantation (FMT).

Keywords: attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder; autism spectrum disorder; fecal microbial transplantation; gut microbiome; psychobiotics.

Publication types

Review
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity* / therapy
Autism Spectrum Disorder* / therapy
Autistic Disorder*
Fecal Microbiota Transplantation
Gastrointestinal Microbiome*
Humans
Microbiota*

Grants and funding

This research was supported by the research fund of Hanyang University MEB (Global Center for Developmental Disorders, HY-201900000003070) and the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Ministry of Science and ICT (RS-2023-00219983).