NEUROMOD
Abstract
Alterations in the microbiome have been linked to acute and chronic stress and anxiety as well as many neuropathologies affecting cognition. Stress and anxiety are common problems among Warfighters, who are frequently exposed to a variety of detrimental factors during flight. In particular, microbes in the gut have been shown to affect neural function. However, the exact molecular and cellular mechanisms by which microbes hosted within the gut lumen transmit signals across the intestinal barrier to the nervous sytems of the body remain a mystery, partly due to a lack of appropriate tools. The NEUROMOD proposal will integrate neural and immune components to understand their role in mediating communication between gut microbes and the brain. We will develop a 3D model of the gut, with human ENS and immune components, to mimic gut function in a benchtop model. To properly simulate the effect of the gut on the brain, we will develop a neural probe to be implanted into a live murine model for monitoring the response of the ENS, and subsequently the brain, to inputted metabolites associated with stress and anxiety. Finally, we will feed this information back into the model to accurately mimic the gut-brain axis in an accessible, high-throughput model. Our approach will use multi-modal data collection to do continuous readouts of gut permeability, metabolite production and neuronal signaling and immune cell function using innovative conducting polymer technology that allows seamless integration of tissue matched electrodes and devices. This will be combined with a modelling approach to predict temporal dynamics of microbial influence on cell behavior. This research has the potential to facilitate understanding of how the gut-brain-microbiome axis could provides a potentially minimally invasive route for intervention to treat stress disorders via the gut (potentially with diet or probiotics).
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Aug 11, 2021
- Source ID
- FA86552017021
Entities
People
- Róisín M Owens
Organizations
- Air Force Office of Scientific Research
- United States Air Force
- University of Cambridge