The Gut-Brain Axis: The New Frontier In Mental Health

“If there’s one thing to know about the human body; it’s this: the human body has a ringmaster. This ringmaster controls your digestion, your immunity, your brain, your weight, your health and even your happiness. This ringmaster is the gut”

Discovering specific species related to the microbes relatable to a mental illness is soon going to revolutionize the way the notoriously prevalent mental health concern has been addressed so far. Evidence indicates that bugs in the digestive system can influence the brain. Psychobiotics are now being tested by scientists as mental health remedies. A startup company with 8 people at Holobiome are all set to unleash new treatments for depression and other disorders related to the brain and nervous system. This start-up has created one of the world’s largest collections of human gut microbes. The psychobiome may alter how you think, feel and act.

The gut microbiome weighs about 2 kilograms that are more than that of the 1.4-kilogram human brain and hence may have more influence over our bodies. There are many species of microbes (bacteria, archaea, viruses and fungi) that reside in the gut. Gut bacteria can produce and use nutrients and other molecules in ways the human body is unable to do. The bacteria residing in the intestines may influence the neurons and the brain through several routes. Epidemiological researchers have discovered intriguing connections between gut and brain disorders.

An increase in depression was also noticed by the researchers in people taking antibiotics. However, this did not happen with antifungal or antiviral medications that leave gut bacteria unharmed. Gut bacteria contribute to the development of a proper immune system and maintenance. Studies indicate that having the wrong mix of microbes can derail the process and lead to inflammation. Microbial products may influence enteroendocrine cells that reside in the lining of the gut and release hormones and other peptides. Some cells help regulate digestion and control insulin production. Katya Gavrish, a Russian microbiologist, says that the connection between gut microbes and the human brain has deep evolutionary roots. 

From The Editor-in-Chief 

Countless people continue to suffer from mild depression to severe depression but a start-up named Holobiome has finally decided to put an end to the nasty depression by developing first-in-class therapies rooted in the human microbiome. A seasoned team encompassing PhD-holder founders, research scientists, microbiologists, scientific advisors, innovation associates and beyond are relentlessly engaged in translating the emerging science related to the human microbiome into proven solutions meant to treat an array of nervous disorders along with other major health concerns. Founded by the eminent research scientists belonging to Northeastern University, Holobiome has embarked on one of the most challenging yet compassionate journeys to unlock the potential of the human microbiome to improve global mental health. 

Janseen R&D and J&J Consumer and Innovation have already partnered with Holobiome aiming to develop live biotherapeutics meant to treat sleep disorders. Post a global research team identifying a range of species of gut microbes responsible for depression, scientists are striving to analyze how these microbes interact with the central nervous system of humans. Moreover, they are keen to figure out what signals they transmit to the brain which in return end up altering the behaviour of a person.  

“The big race is on to understand what role all these play in various brain diseases,” stated a medical psychologist Emeran Mayer at the University of California, LA who studies the gut microbiome and brain and has penned  “The Mind-Gut Connection.” He further adds, “if you already have genetic risk factors for Parkinson’s disease or Alzheimer’s or major depression, this is a factor that could push it over the edge into a disease.”

The whole new positive side of microbes has compelled people to alter their perspectives towards them as earlier microbes would only garner medical attention due to causing diseases and infections. As a result, the microbiome study has emerged as one of the intriguingly hottest new fields in medicine with over 15,000 scientific research-driven papers published so far. “There is a lot of excitement in the field of psychiatry now about this,” stated John Cryan (at the University College Cork, Ireland), who studies the neurobiology of stress and the microbiome.

Microbiologists estimate that the human gut comprises over 100 trillion microorganisms. Where the human genome contains approximately 22,000 protein-coding genes, as per the estimate by researchers, the human microbiome contributes around eight million exclusive protein-coding genes, according to the Human Microbiome Project unveiled by the National Institutes of Health. These microbes are adaptable to environmental change, biochemistry of emotion and diet. While the reasons are yet to be discovered why patients with varied psychiatric disorders encompassing bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, autism spectrum disorder and depression, have considerable disruptions in the composition related to their gut microbiome.

The microbes interestingly appear to be in roughly incessant communication with the brain indirectly through chemicals soaked up into the bloodstream and directly by affecting nerve signals stated Dr Gilbert, a scientific adviser for Holobiome in Cambridge, Mass. This revelation sure emerges as a beacon of hope in discovering a foolproof way to treat insomnia, depression, and other ailments. Some specific variants of gut bacteria help generate neurotransmitters like serotonin that tends to affect neural activity related to memory and mood. It is generally used to treat depression. Other variants make an amino acid named gamma-aminobutyric acid that tends to block some brain signals naturally and hence leveraged in medication to improve mood and relieve anxiety.

“The bacteria are hijacking parts of systems within the body that we know are affecting emotional regulation,” Dr. Cryan stated. “This has led us to the idea that by targeting microbes in the gut, we can have behavioral effects that are going to have impact on overall well-being.”