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Review
. 2023 Nov 11;15(11):e48655.
doi: 10.7759/cureus.48655. eCollection 2023 Nov.

The Gut-Brain Axis in Autoimmune Diseases: Emerging Insights and Therapeutic Implications

Muhammad Muneeb Khawar Sr  1 , Sami Ijaz  2 , Priya Goyal  3 , Dhanuddara Kandambige  4 , Mouhammad Sharifa  5 , Abdalkareem Nael Jameel Maslamani  6 , Salem Al Kutabi  7 , Inam Saleh  8 , Mohamed Mustafa Albshir  9 , Mohammed Khaleel I Kh Almadhoun  10 , Sana Nazir Soomro  11 , Neelam Kumari  11
Affiliations
Review

The Gut-Brain Axis in Autoimmune Diseases: Emerging Insights and Therapeutic Implications

Muhammad Muneeb Khawar Sr et al. Cureus. .

Abstract

The gut-brain axis (GBA) is a two-way communication system that is influenced by signals from the nervous system, hormones, metabolism, the immune system, and microbes. The GBA may play a key role in gastrointestinal and neurological illnesses. Signaling events from the gut can regulate brain function. As a result, mounting data point to a connection between autoimmune disorders (AIDs), both neuroinflammatory and neurodegenerative diseases, and the GBA. Clinical, epidemiological, and experimental studies have shown that a variety of neurological illnesses are linked to alterations in the intestinal environment, which are suggestive of disease-mediated inter-organ communication between the gut and the brain. This review's objective is to draw attention to the clinical and biological relationship between the gut and the brain, as well as the clinical importance of this relationship for AIDs, neurodegeneration, and neuroinflammation. We also discuss the dysbiosis in the gut microbiota that has been linked to various AIDs, and we make some assumptions about how dietary changes such as prebiotics and probiotics may be able to prevent or treat AIDs by restoring the composition of the gut microbiota and regulating metabolites.

Keywords: gastro-intestinal surgery; general internal medicine; gut; gut-brain axis; gut-brain connection.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

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