Gut-spine axis: a possible correlation between gut microbiota and spinal degenerative diseases

Tadatsugu Morimoto; Takaomi Kobayashi; Toshihiko Kakiuchi; Motohiro Esaki; Masatsugu Tsukamoto; Tomohito Yoshihara; Hirohito Hirata; Shoji Yabuki; Masaaki Mawatari

doi:10.3389/fmicb.2023.1290858

Gut-spine axis: a possible correlation between gut microbiota and spinal degenerative diseases

Front Microbiol. 2023 Oct 27:14:1290858. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1290858. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Tadatsugu Morimoto¹, Takaomi Kobayashi¹, Toshihiko Kakiuchi², Motohiro Esaki³, Masatsugu Tsukamoto¹, Tomohito Yoshihara¹, Hirohito Hirata¹, Shoji Yabuki⁴, Masaaki Mawatari¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Saga University, Saga, Japan.
² Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Saga University, Saga, Japan.
³ Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Saga University, Saga, Japan.
⁴ Fukushima Medical University School of Health Sciences, Fukushima, Japan.

Abstract

As society ages, the number of patients with spinal degenerative diseases (SDD) is increasing, posing a major socioeconomic problem for patients and their families. SDD refers to a generic term for degenerative diseases of spinal structures, including osteoporosis (bone), facet osteoarthritis (joint), intervertebral disk degeneration (disk), lumbar spinal canal stenosis (yellow ligament), and spinal sarcopenia (muscle). We propose the term "gut-spine axis" for the first time, given the influence of gut microbiota (GM) on the metabolic, immune, and endocrine environment in hosts through various potential mechanisms. A close cross-talk is noted between the aforementioned spinal components and degenerative diseases. This review outlines the nature and role of GM, highlighting GM abnormalities associated with the degeneration of spinal components. It also summarizes the evidence linking GM to various SDD. The gut-spine axis perspective can provide novel insights into the pathogenesis and treatment of SDD.

Keywords: gut dysbiosis; gut microbiota; gut-bone axis; gut-spine axis; inflammation; spinal degenerative disease.

Publication types

Review

Grants and funding

The author(s) declare financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. This study was supported by the Health Labor Sciences Research Grant (22FG2001).