Adolescent depression and gut microbiota dysbiosis: characteristics, mechanisms, and microbiota-targeted therapeutics.
11 affiliations
- 1School of Psychiatry, North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, 637100, China.
- 2Department of Psychiatry, Zigong Mental Health Center, Zigong, 643020, China.
- 3Department of Psychiatry, Zigong Mental Health Center, Zigong, 643020, China. [email protected].
- 4Center for Psychiatry Research, Zigong Institute of Brain Science, Zigong, 643020, China. [email protected].
- 5School of Psychiatry, North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, 637100, China. [email protected].
- 6Department of Psychiatry, Zigong Mental Health Center, Zigong, 643020, China. [email protected].
- 7Center for Psychiatry Research, Zigong Institute of Brain Science, Zigong, 643020, China. [email protected].
- 8Psychosomatic Medicine Center, The Affiliated Hospital, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, China. [email protected].
- 9School of Psychiatry, North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, 637100, China. [email protected].
- 10Department of Psychiatry, Zigong Mental Health Center, Zigong, 643020, China. [email protected].
- 11Center for Psychiatry Research, Zigong Institute of Brain Science, Zigong, 643020, China. [email protected].
Abstract
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is one of the most prevalent mental disorders, yet its pathogenesis remains incompletely understood. Accumulating evidence indicates that MDD is closely associated with gut microbiota dysbiosis, with bidirectional communication along the microbiota-gut-brain axis playing a pivotal role in disease development. The gut microbiota and its metabolites exert dual influences on MDD, contributing to its pathophysiology while also offering promising therapeutic targets. In recent years, the prevalence of depression, especially in adolescents, has shown a sharp upward trend, increasing the risk of suicide in this population. However, few studies have systematically reviewed the link between gut dysbiosis and MDD in adolescents. This review summarizes current evidence on structural and functional alterations of the gut microbiota in adolescent MDD and explores the underlying mechanisms mediated by the microbiota-gut-brain axis. Furthermore, we also discuss the therapeutic potential of microbiota-targeted interventions, including dietary modification, probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics, postbiotics, and fecal microbiota transplantation. Future research should aim to characterize specific microbial alterations in adolescent MDD and clarify the mechanisms underlying gut-brain interactions, thereby advancing the clinical translation of microbiota-targeted therapeutics for adolescent depression.
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BibTeX
@article{zi2026adolescent,
title = {{Adolescent depression and gut microbiota dysbiosis: characteristics, mechanisms, and microbiota-targeted therapeutics.}},
author = {Zhuorong Zi and Linwan Liu and Jian Zhou and Yuanbao Sun and Nianjie Wang and Bo Liu and Kezhi Liu and Youguo Tan},
journal = {Translational psychiatry},
year = {2026},
month = aug,
doi = {10.1038/s41398-026-04330-w},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42957625},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Adolescent depression and gut microbiota dysbiosis: characteristics, mechanisms, and microbiota-targeted therapeutics.
AU - Zhuorong Zi
AU - Linwan Liu
AU - Jian Zhou
AU - Yuanbao Sun
AU - Nianjie Wang
AU - Bo Liu
AU - Kezhi Liu
AU - Youguo Tan
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/08/01
JO - Translational psychiatry
DO - 10.1038/s41398-026-04330-w
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42957625
AB - Major depressive disorder (MDD) is one of the most prevalent mental disorders, yet its pathogenesis remains incompletely understood. Accumulating evidence indicates that MDD is closely associated with gut microbiota dysbiosis, with bidirectional communication along the microbiota-gut-brain axis playing a pivotal role in disease development. The gut microbiota and its metabolites exert dual influences on MDD, contributing to its pathophysiology while also offering promising therapeutic targets. In recent years, the prevalence of depression, especially in adolescents, has shown a sharp upward trend, increasing the risk of suicide in this population. However, few studies have systematically reviewed the link between gut dysbiosis and MDD in adolescents. This review summarizes current evidence on structural and functional alterations of the gut microbiota in adolescent MDD and explores the underlying mechanisms mediated by the microbiota-gut-brain axis. Furthermore, we also discuss the therapeutic potential of microbiota-targeted interventions, including dietary modification, probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics, postbiotics, and fecal microbiota transplantation. Future research should aim to characterize specific microbial alterations in adolescent MDD and clarify the mechanisms underlying gut-brain interactions, thereby advancing the clinical translation of microbiota-targeted therapeutics for adolescent depression.
SN - 2158-3188
ER -