Faecalibacterium prausnitzii in neurological disorders: mechanistic links and therapeutic potential along the microbiota–gut–brain axis
- 1Affiliated Rehabilitation Hospital, Jiang Xi Medical College, Nanchang University
- 2Rehabilitation Medicine Clinical Research Center of Jiangxi Province
- 3Key Laboratory of Jiangxi Provincial Health Commission for DOC Rehabilitation
Abstract
Widespread dysbiosis in neurological disorders highlights the critical role of the microbiota–gut–brain axis (MGBA) and the therapeutic potential of probiotics in modulating the central nervous system (CNS). Faecalibacterium prausnitzii , a key butyrate-producing commensal bacterium in the human gut, has attracted broad attention as a candidate next-generation probiotic (NGP). This review aims to describe and discuss the mechanisms of action of F. prausnitzii and its potential in the prevention and management of neurological disorders. Multiple human observational cohort studies indicate that the relative abundance of F. prausnitzii —or the genus Faecalibacterium —is negatively correlated with disease severity in conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Parkinson’s disease (PD), stroke, and multiple sclerosis (MS); however, the directionality of this association remains discordant in neurodevelopmental conditions such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD). To date, interventional evidence is predominantly derived from rodent models, in which oral gavage of specific F. prausnitzii strains or synbiotic formulations has been reported to alleviate cognitive deficits, motor dysfunction, anxiety-like behaviors, and pathological protein deposition. Mechanistically, these neuroprotective effects involve diverse F. prausnitzii -derived neuroactive metabolites—including the microbial anti-inflammatory molecule (MAM), extracellular vesicles (EVs), and phenolic derivatives—as well as indirect pathways mediated by butyrate through histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibition and intestinal barrier fortification. Given the current lack of clinical intervention trials directly administering live F. prausnitzii in human neurological populations, future research requires rigorously designed, strain-specific randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to establish its clinical safety, colonization efficiency, and therapeutic efficacy.
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BibTeX
@article{liu2026faecalibacterium,
title = {{Faecalibacterium prausnitzii in neurological disorders: mechanistic links and therapeutic potential along the microbiota–gut–brain axis}},
author = {Yuan Liu and Guangping Yang and Lang Su and Hong Wang and Qianhui Zhou and Peng Yao and Can Jing and Yang Bai and Zhen Feng},
journal = {Frontiers in Microbiology},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3389/fmicb.2026.1962324},
url = {https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2026.1962324/full},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Faecalibacterium prausnitzii in neurological disorders: mechanistic links and therapeutic potential along the microbiota–gut–brain axis
AU - Yuan Liu
AU - Guangping Yang
AU - Lang Su
AU - Hong Wang
AU - Qianhui Zhou
AU - Peng Yao
AU - Can Jing
AU - Yang Bai
AU - Zhen Feng
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/23
JO - Frontiers in Microbiology
DO - 10.3389/fmicb.2026.1962324
UR - https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2026.1962324/full
AB - Widespread dysbiosis in neurological disorders highlights the critical role of the microbiota–gut–brain axis (MGBA) and the therapeutic potential of probiotics in modulating the central nervous system (CNS). Faecalibacterium prausnitzii , a key butyrate-producing commensal bacterium in the human gut, has attracted broad attention as a candidate next-generation probiotic (NGP). This review aims to describe and discuss the mechanisms of action of F. prausnitzii and its potential in the prevention and management of neurological disorders. Multiple human observational cohort studies indicate that the relative abundance of F. prausnitzii —or the genus Faecalibacterium —is negatively correlated with disease severity in conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Parkinson’s disease (PD), stroke, and multiple sclerosis (MS); however, the directionality of this association remains discordant in neurodevelopmental conditions such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD). To date, interventional evidence is predominantly derived from rodent models, in which oral gavage of specific F. prausnitzii strains or synbiotic formulations has been reported to alleviate cognitive deficits, motor dysfunction, anxiety-like behaviors, and pathological protein deposition. Mechanistically, these neuroprotective effects involve diverse F. prausnitzii -derived neuroactive metabolites—including the microbial anti-inflammatory molecule (MAM), extracellular vesicles (EVs), and phenolic derivatives—as well as indirect pathways mediated by butyrate through histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibition and intestinal barrier fortification. Given the current lack of clinical intervention trials directly administering live F. prausnitzii in human neurological populations, future research requires rigorously designed, strain-specific randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to establish its clinical safety, colonization efficiency, and therapeutic efficacy.
SN - 1664-302X
ER -