Links between the Gut Microbiome and Traumatic Brain Injury
Cole Vonder Haar, Marta Celorrio, Kris M. Martens, Stuart Friess, Sonia Villapol et al.
(see article e1337252025)
Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) have a high prevalence, and the consequences—including neurodegenerative or psychiatric disease onset—can hinder life quality to a severe degree. Within the last decade, researchers have started looking at how dysbiosis of the gut microbiome relates to TBI. Vonder Haar and colleagues reviewed the literature on the relationship between the gut microbiome and TBI. In their review, the authors point out that while evidence suggests that the gut microbiome changes after TBI, the degree to which these changes harm TBI outcomes and specific mechanisms of action is still being researched. Ultimately, Vonder Haar et al. cover the growing understanding that changes in the gut microbiome may influence TBI pathology and symptoms and highlight the need for further exploration.
This diagram depicts microbial to brain signaling that can influence traumatic brain injury. See Vonder Haar et al. for more information.
Expanding the Potential Therapeutic Scope of GLP-1R Agonists
Jingchuan Guo, Matthew R. Hayes, Lorenzo Leggio, Ena Oru, and Linda Rinaman
(see article e1375252025)
Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1R) agonists have received much media attention for their use as treatments for obesity and diabetes. However, in this review article, Guo and colleagues deep dive into preclinical findings, human clinical data, and real-life observations on the use of GLP-1R agonists for treating overeating disorders and substance use disorders. The authors cover the basics of the GLP-1 system before reviewing evidence that GLP-1R agonists may be effective therapeutics for treating binge eating disorder, bulimia nervosa, and substance use disorders including alcoholism. The authors also propose some future research directions and knowledge gaps for clinical trials to fill to advance understanding of how these agonists can treat a variety of pathological consummatory behaviors.
Footnotes
This Week in The Journal was written by Paige McKeon
