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Image shows a brain and a digestive system, specifically the intestines, connected by nodes.
Gut Serotonin Curbs the Developing Immune System
In neonatal mice, the neurotransmitter serotonin mobilizes immune cells that promote tolerance to antigens.
Gut Serotonin Curbs the Developing Immune System
Gut Serotonin Curbs the Developing Immune System

In neonatal mice, the neurotransmitter serotonin mobilizes immune cells that promote tolerance to antigens.

In neonatal mice, the neurotransmitter serotonin mobilizes immune cells that promote tolerance to antigens.

gut-brain axis

MRI scan of a human head in profile
Gut Microbe Metabolites Lower Levels of Toxic Tau
Kamal Nahas, PhD | Jul 9, 2024 | 5 min read
Researchers simulated interactions between microbial molecules and neural receptors to explore whether gut bacteria might influence brain chemistry.
A woman feels discomfort while she is thirsty (left), but she feels refreshed and rejuvenated when she has her first sip of water (right).
Why Does Drinking Water Feel so Rewarding When One is Parched?
Laura Tran, PhD | Jul 1, 2024 | 2 min read
With a thirst for knowledge, scientists delve into gut-brain pathways to understand liquid rewards.
A person holding a section of his face and looking in to his brain through a magnifying glass stock illustration
Science Philosophy in a Flash - A Look at Aging Through Young Eyes 
Iris Kulbatski, PhD | 1 min read
Aimée Parker shares how her childlike curiosity and collaborative spirit motivate her scientific pursuits.
White and white and black mice in an overcrowded cage.
Viruses Keep Mice from Stressing Out
Shelby Bradford, PhD | May 9, 2024 | 3 min read
Gut viruses influence behavioral responses in mice and may be important players in the gut-brain axis.
The image illustrates the relationship between the brain and gut in humans.
A Novel Tool to Explore the Gut-brain Connection
Anna Napolitano, PhD | Aug 28, 2023 | 3 min read
Scientists used a vibrating capsule to assess people’s gut sensitivities and understand how the brain interprets these signals.  
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Revealing Neuronal Influencers Among the Gut Microbiome
The Scientist | 1 min read
In this webinar, Sarkis Mazmanian and Daniel Mucida highlight how intestinal bacteria influence neuronal function and regeneration.
Colorful dots, representing small pieces of plastic, on a blue background
Nanoplastic Ingestion Causes Neurological Deficits
Shelby Bradford, PhD | May 31, 2023 | 3 min read
Small plastic particulates can induce inflammatory responses in the gut and brain, but removing them reverses this damage.
Image of the fly brain (grey) highlighting the population of neurons (pink) to which the gut-secreted peptide CCHa1 signals
A Protein-Rich Diet Helps Mice and Flies Sleep More Soundly: Study
Alejandra Manjarrez, PhD | Mar 24, 2023 | 3 min read
The effect appears to be mediated by a gut-secreted peptide that signals to neurons in the brain that modulate the response to mechanical vibrations.
An abstract stained-glass portrait of a woman with an image of an eye representing the brain
Through the Looking Glass: Aging, Inflammation, and Gut Rejuvenation
Iris Kulbatski, PhD | Aug 8, 2022 | 4 min read
Renewing the aging gut microbiome holds promise for preventing inflammatory brain and eye degeneration.
Artist’s rendition of bright blue microbes among intestinal lining
Study Links Depression with High Levels of an Amino Acid
Dan Robitzski | Jun 14, 2022 | 5 min read
Experiments in animals and observations in humans suggest that the amount of proline circulating in one’s plasma has a strong association with depression severity.
A white lab mouse peers over the wall of a sprawling maze
Bacterial Metabolite May Regulate Cognition in Mice
Sophie Fessl, PhD | Jun 3, 2022 | 3 min read
Microbes in the gut influence the death of support cells in the brain by producing isoamylamine, a study suggests.
illustration of neurons in blue with synapses lighting up
Gut Molecule Linked to Decreased Myelination in Mouse Brains
Angie Voyles Askham, Spectrum | Feb 17, 2022 | 4 min read
A study shows that a molecule produced by intestinal microbes can enter the brain and that its presence is also associated with altered brain connectivity.
Illustration of gray bacteriophages approaching and infecting a red and orange bacteria that has multiple fimbria protruding from it.
Bacteria-Infecting Viruses in Gut Microbiome Linked to Cognition
Dan Robitzski | Feb 16, 2022 | 5 min read
Research in mice and flies suggests that bacteriophages, including those found in dairy foods, may have an influence on an animals’ ability to learn and remember information.
Variety of sweeteners - Stevia, sugar, pollen and honey stock photo
How the Gut Differentiates Artificial Sweeteners from Sugars
Chloe Tenn | Jan 21, 2022 | 5 min read
Signals from sweeteners and sugars are relayed from the gut to the brain by different neural pathways, a new study concludes.
white mouse running on a light blue wheel
Tinkering with Gut Microbes Boosts Brain Plasticity in Mice
Sophie Fessl, PhD | Jan 13, 2022 | 4 min read
Intestinal bacteria contribute to the effect of stimulating environments on the brain’s ability to adapt, a study concludes.
Artist's impression of the human microbiome
Diet Implicated in Autism-Microbiome Link
Ruth Williams | Nov 11, 2021 | 3 min read
The unbalanced gut flora present in some people with autism is not a driver of the condition but rather a consequence of eating behaviors characteristic of the condition, a new study claims.
Exercise Changes Our Gut Microbes, But How Isn’t Yet Clear
Ashley Yeager | Aug 15, 2019 | 5 min read
Physical activity, independent of diet, shifts the composition of bacteria in the intestines, spurring researchers to search for species that might provide benefits akin to working out.
Gut Microbes May Play a Role in Mental Health Disorders
Ashley Yeager | Jul 5, 2019 | 4 min read
The gut microbiome has been linked to depression, schizophrenia, and other neurological conditions, but it’s not yet clear whether the relationship is causal.
ted dawson alpha-synuclein parkinson's disease model gut vagus nerve dopamine johns hopkins school of medicine
Mouse Model Shows How Parkinson’s Disease Begins in the Gut
Emma Yasinski | Jun 26, 2019 | 3 min read
Johns Hopkins’s Ted Dawson discusses his lab’s demonstration that misfolded α-synuclein can move from the stomach to the brain and cause physical and cognitive symptoms.
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