Exploring the role of the enteric nervous system on myelination during early life

Prof. Maria Cecilia Giron, Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Padova, Italy

2021

During infancy neural axons rapid myelination, slowly consolidatesspatiotemporally until adulthood to ensure neurotransmission. The prefrontalcortex, undergoing later myelination in newborn, is affected by neonatalintestinal microbial status, and highly implicated in the development of brainin early life.

Study Aim

The research proposal aims to explore the role of host-microbialinteractions in pre-clinical models to identify critical pathophysiologicalpathways that affect the gut and precede the onset of disorders.

Scientific Approach

Using a mouse model of demyelination, to assess whether disruption in gutmotility precedes impaired cognition and using experimental manipulation of themicrobiota, to explore the role of host-microbiota interactions in neuropsychiatricdisorders associated gastro-intestinal disease and their relationship tocognition.

Expected Outcomes

The proposed preclinicalresearch, by deciphering host-microbial contribution to early brain developmentprocesses, may benefit in guiding future nutritional/nutraceutical approachesto modulate gut microbiota signaling and molecular processes to promotegut-brain health benefits early in life.

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Funded projects

Transmission of obesity from mother to child through microbiota transfer and impact on feeding behavior

Mother & Child Health and Nutrition

Dr. Patricia Parnet, UMR1280, Nantes University, France

Studies suggest that obesity could be ‘transmitted’ frommother to child. Since maternal microbiota is the main determinant of childintestine colonization, the transmission of a maternal microbiota"signature" of obesity to her child during perinatal period, couldpotentially affect his metabolism.

NourishMinds: Unraveling the Impact of Early-Life High-Sugar Diets on Neuro-Cognitive Development and Gut-Brain Pathways in Children

Brain Development

Dr. Harriet Schellekens, APC Microbiome, University College Cork, Ireland

How can we better cultivate healthy eating behaviour in our children?Unhealthy eating patterns, characterized by excessive consumption of highly palatable (high-sugar and high-fat) processed foods, are alarmingly prevalent among children globally. A poor early-life diet profoundly impacts on the metabolic programming and infant brain development, heightening the risk of obesity later in life, and associated cognitive impairment, including attention, executive function, and decision making.

Exploring Gut-Brain Connections: Investigating Modifiable Microbial Determinants of Neurodevelopment in Mid-Childhood: A Twin Study Approach

Brain Development

Prof. Jeffrey Craig, Deakin University, Autralia

Human neurodevelopment occurs from early pregnancy through to early adulthood. During this time, there are several windows in which the developing brain is sensitive to environmental influence. Such environments can affect the senses, language, learning, memory, and higher-order thinking.We know that the mix of beneficial organisms in our gut, the microbiome, plays a role in brain development up to at least age three. However, it is not known whether the microbiome has a lasting impact on brain development beyond infancy.

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