Molecular Insights into Nutritional Neuroscience: Diet, Microbiota, and Brain Function

Dear Colleagues,

The intricate relationship between diet, gut microbiota, and brain function represents one of the most dynamic and promising areas within molecular neuroscience. Recent advancements in the fields of genomics, metabolomics, and neurobiology have elucidated that nutritional factors and the gut microbial ecosystem exert their effects on the brain through varied molecular mechanisms, including the regulation of gene expression, epigenetic modifications, signal transduction pathways, and the synthesis of neuroactive compounds and metabolites that cross the blood–brain barrier. Molecular crosstalk along the gut–brain axis is now recognized as a key determinant of neurodevelopment, synaptic plasticity, neuroinflammation, and overall brain health.

Elucidating these intricate molecular pathways is imperative for comprehending the role of dietary components and microbiota-derived metabolites in brain function and dysfunction. This knowledge is crucial for identifying novel biomarkers and therapeutic targets in neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative diseases. Integrating advanced molecular techniques, ranging from transcriptomics and proteomics to metabolomics and systems biology, facilitates the precise dissection of these interactions and promotes the translation of fundamental molecular findings into clinical applications.

This Special Issue will provide an opportunity for research focused on the molecular mechanisms via which diet and the gut microbiota influence brain function in both health and disease. We particularly welcome studies that elucidate signaling pathways, molecular mediators, and omics-based signatures underpinning diet–microbiota–brain interactions. Original research articles presenting novel molecular data and comprehensive reviews summarizing current advances are encouraged.

Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:

• Molecular signaling pathways mediating gut–brain communication;
• Impact of nutrients and microbial metabolites on gene expression and epigenetic regulation in the brain;
• Omics-based approaches (genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics) for deciphering the diet–microbiota–brain axis;
• Molecular mechanisms linking diet and microbiota to neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, and neuronal plasticity;
• Identification of molecular biomarkers associated with nutritional and microbial modulation of brain function;
• Translational studies focused on molecular targets for intervention in neurodevelopmental, neuropsychiatric, and neurodegenerative diseases.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Prof. Dr. Ana Isabel Beltrán-Velasco
Guest Editor

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