Gut Microbiota and Mitochondrial Dysfunction in Autism: Clinical Correlations and Future Directions.

This review looked at how gut bacteria and cell energy problems might be connected to autism. Researchers found that autistic people often have different gut bacteria - fewer good bacteria and more harmful ones. These bacteria make chemicals that affect the brain and immune system. The gut bacteria also影响 how cells make energy. The authors think treatments that improve gut bacteria and cell energy might help autistic people, but more research is needed to understand these connections better.

This comprehensive review examines the relationship between gut microbiota, mitochondrial dysfunction, and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) over the past decade. The authors synthesized clinical, experimental, and epidemiological evidence demonstrating that individuals with ASD show significant alterations in gut microbiota composition, including reduced beneficial microbes and increased pathogenic taxa. These microbial changes affect the production of neuroactive metabolites that influence immune function and neurotransmission. The review identifies how microbial metabolites regulate mitochondrial activity through various pathways including the vagus nerve, intestinal hormones, and immune signaling, with disruption of key mitochondrial signaling pathways (AMPK, mTOR, NF-κB).

The authors suggest that interventions targeting microbiome and mitochondrial modulation may offer therapeutic potential, while highlighting the need for multi-omics and longitudinal studies to develop personalized treatments.

The gut-microbiota-mitochondria axis may represent a novel therapeutic target for ASD interventions. Microbiome modulation and mitochondrial support strategies could potentially improve ASD symptoms. However, personalized treatment approaches require further development through multi-omics and longitudinal studies to better understand individual variations in gut-brain axis dysfunction.

As a review study, findings depend on the quality and consistency of included research. The abstract does not specify study selection criteria, quality assessment methods, or potential publication bias. Future research gaps are acknowledged, indicating incomplete understanding of gut-brain axis mechanisms in ASD.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a multifactorial, neuro-psychiatric, and neurodevelopmental illness possessing impaired social, behavioral, and communicative presentations. Research suggested the important role of the gut-brain axis in ASD, especially related to gut dysbiosis and mitochondrial dysfunction. This review comprehensively summarizes the existing evidence of the association between gut microbiota, microbial metabolites, and mitochondrial dysfunction in ASD, comprising of clinical, experimental, and epidemiological data over the last decade. The focus was on the research that clarifies the gut-mitochondria crosstalk and role in ASD pathophysiology.

ASD patients demonstrate a substantial shift in the variety of gut microbiota, such as a decrease in the number of beneficial microbes and the growth of pathogenic taxa. These changes affect the biosynthesis of major neuroactive metabolites executing immune modulation and neurotransmission. The review detects the microbial metabolites that regulate mitochondrial activity through mechanisms like vagus nerve, intestinal hormones, and immune signaling. The different mitochondrial signaling pathways were inhibited including AMPK, mTOR, and NF-κB.

Preventive interventions that concentrate on modulation of the microbiome and mitochondria may present a prospective line of therapy. Nevertheless, uncovered gaps should be mentioned in future research, multi-omics studies, longitudinal studies, and the protocol to understand the components of gut-brain axis in ASD to develop personalized therapy.