Gut microbes may lead to therapies for mental illness

The gut microbiome’s role in intestinal and systemic health has received extensive research attention. Evidence now indicates this collection of microorganisms can impact neurological and emotional wellbeing, according to a perspective article in Science by UT Southwestern researcher Jane Foster, Ph.D.

Foster, a neuroscientist and psychiatry professor, is a microbiome expert who first connected gut microbes in mice to anxiety. Animal studies have identified specific microbes and metabolites linked to anxiety-like behavior and changes in brain function. Moving these discoveries to human populations could generate innovative mental health treatments.

Foster recently joined UT Southwestern’s Center for Depression Research and Clinical Care, relocating from McMaster University where she co-led The Canadian Biomarker Integration Network in Depression. “People who are at risk for depression or diagnosed with depression are heterogeneous. So we want to use biology to understand the biomarkers that can help define the different clusters of people,” Foster explains.

Current antidepressant treatments succeed in approximately 40% of patients. Other options include cognitive behavioral therapy, deep brain stimulation, exercise, and dietary modifications. By developing comprehensive patient profiles, researchers hope to improve treatment response rates and enable personalized approaches based on individual microbiome signatures.