Exploring the Gut–Brain Axis in Dementia: Biomarkers, Microbiota, and Machine Learning Approaches

Dear Colleagues,

Dementia, a leading cause of disability worldwide, has been increasingly linked to dysbiosis of the gut microbiota and systemic inflammation. Emerging evidence suggests that gut–brain axis interactions play a crucial role in neurodegenerative processes, offering potential avenues for early diagnosis and intervention. This Special Issue aims to gather cutting-edge research on the interplay between gut microbiota, biomarkers, and dementia, with a focus on innovative machine learning (ML) approaches to analyze complex datasets and predict disease progression.

We invite a wide range of article types, including, but not limited to, original research articles, reviews, short communications, methodological papers, and case reports, addressing the following topics:

• Gut microbiota alterations in Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementias.
• Novel biomarkers for early detection and disease monitoring including microbial metabolites, inflammatory markers, and genetic/epigenetic signatures for early detection.
• Machine learning and AI-driven models for dementia prediction using microbiome and multi-omics datasets.
• Therapeutic interventions targeting the gut microbiome (e.g., probiotics, prebiotics, and fecal microbiota transplants).
• Integrative analyses of microbiome, metabolome, and clinical data.
• Epidemiological, clinical observational, or translational studies related to the gut–brain axis and dementia.
• Emerging topics concerning gut microbiota, neuroinflammation, or cognitive decline.

This Special Issue welcomes multidisciplinary and multifaceted research contributions, encompassing basic science, clinical applications, and public health perspectives. We hope that, through this broader scope, we can foster academic exchange and knowledge translation in this rapidly evolving field and help accelerate the development of novel strategies for the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of dementia.

Dr. Bing-Mu Hsu
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Microorganisms is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Publisher’s Notice

Following discussions between the Microorganisms Editorial Office and the Guest Editor, the Special Issue description has been revised. This change has been approved by the journal Editorial Board, and the Special Issue website has been updated accordingly on 6 August 2026. The Special Issue will continue to be handled by the Guest Editor in accordance with MDPI’s Special Issue and editorial policies.

• gut–brain axis
• microbiota
• biomarkers
• machine learning
• dementia
• neuroinflammation
• multi-omics