The prevalence of mental disorders is rising annually, posing a significant threat to human health. The indicates that approximately 100 million people worldwide-nearly 13% of the global population-suffer from mental disorders. The disease burden associated with these disorders accounts for 13%, surpassing that of cardiovascular diseases and cancer. Emerging evidence suggests a strong bidirectional association between mental disorders and gastrointestinal diseases, wherein gut-brain axis may play a significant role.
The gut-brain axis is a complex network linking the gastrointestinal system and central nervous system via neural, endocrine, and immune pathways. Dysbiosis of gut microbiota and altered microbial metabolites have been implicated in mood disorders and neuropsychiatric conditions. Multi-omics approaches enable a comprehensive understanding of molecular interactions underlying this relationship, offering new insights into disease mechanisms and potential therapeutic strategies.
We intent to identify key microbial and metabolic pathways that mediate gut-brain interactions by systematically analyzing the multi-omics signatures (microbiome, metabolomics, genomics, and transcriptomics) associated with gastrointestinal diseases and mental disorders. This study may aim to further indentify potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets for early diagnosis and intervention in mental disorders related to gastrointestinal dysfunction.
