The microbiome and gut-brain axis in epilepsy

Epilepsy is complex brain disorder, and many patients are not adequately treated with existing therapies. New therapeutic avenues are needed, such as the emerging influence that the gut microbiome has on brain function. The rationale for studying ‘gut-brain’ axis in epilepsy is compelling: (1) dietary therapies such as the ketogenic diet, can be successful treatments; (2) neuroinflammation is implicated in epilepsy, and the gut microbiome is recognised to influence immune cell function; (3) brain insults which cause epilepsy are stressful events, which could modify microbiome composition, and influence inflammation. Despite this, existing studies on microbiome studies in epilepsy are surprisingly rare (and relatively recent). This project will use a variety of animal models of epilepsy, and track changes in microbiome composition, metabolomic consequences of these changes, and assess brain immune cell function. These attributes will all be related to the evolution of epilepsy, and the disease severity in the end stage. Future works will harness this data to devise novel and rational treatment strategies for epilepsy, aimed to normalise gut dysbiosis and improve epilepsy outcomes