Understanding how gut bacteria affect the brain in neurodevelopmental conditions
Official title: Unraveling gut-microbiome-brain interactions in neurodevelopmental disorders
Funded at Baylor College of Medicine · NIH-11128368 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This research explores how specific gut bacteria might influence brain function and behavior in people with neurodevelopmental disorders.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Baylor College of Medicine NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Houston, United States) |
| Project start | September 16, 2021 |
| Project end | June 30, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $725,587 |
| NIH project number | 5R01MH112356-10 |
| Project ID | NIH-11128368 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
This foundational research is not directly recruiting patients but aims to benefit individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders who experience social difficulties.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without neurodevelopmental disorders or those whose conditions are unrelated to gut-brain axis dysfunction may not directly benefit from this specific research direction.
What this research studies
We are learning how the bacteria in your gut can powerfully communicate with your brain, affecting behaviors like social interaction. This project uses advanced techniques to discover the exact ways a particular gut microbe, L. reuteri, can improve social challenges seen in models of neurodevelopmental disorders. We aim to uncover the molecular and genetic changes this microbe causes in the brain and how it sends signals along the gut-brain pathway. Ultimately, this work could lead to new, gentle treatments for neurodevelopmental disorders that focus on gut health.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to new, non-invasive treatments for neurodevelopmental disorders that improve social function by targeting gut microbes.
How similar studies have gone: While the gut-brain connection is an active area of investigation, this specific approach to reversing social deficits using a particular gut microbe is a novel and promising area of exploration.
Where this research is happening
-
Baylor College of Medicine
Houston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Sahin, Ergun — Baylor College of Medicine
- Study coordinator: Sahin, Ergun
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Exploring how gut microbes affect brain function in neurodevelopmental disorders
This study is looking at how a specific gut microbe, L. reuteri, might affect brain function and social behavior in mice with neurodevelopmental disorders, with the hope of finding new ways to help people with these conditions feel and interact better.
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.