Nutritional Interventions and the Gut–Brain Axis in Autism Spectrum Disorder
A special issue of Nutrients (ISSN 2072-6643). This special issue belongs to the section "Nutrition and Metabolism".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 January 2026 | Viewed by 11
Special Issue Editors
Interests: microbiome; antimicrobials; antibiotics; biofilms
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: immunology; autoimmunity; diet; microbiome; functional foods; antimicrobials
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: infectious diseases; antibiotics; probiotics; microbial ecology; health; disease; microbiota; hygiene; diet; intestine
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
2. Department of Physiotherapy, University of Thessaly, 68100 Alexandroupolis, Greece
Interests: developmental and behavioral pediatrics; neurodevelopmental disorders; autism spectrum disorder; the role of the gut microbiota in child development
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a complex and heterogeneous neurodevelopmental condition with a multifactorial and still poorly understood etiology. In recent years, increasing attention has been directed toward the gut–brain axis, a bidirectional communication network between the gastrointestinal system, specifically the gut microbiome, and the central nervous system, as a potentially important factor in ASD pathophysiology.
This Special Issue of Nutrients aims to advance our understanding of how nutrition, the gut microbiome, and the gut–brain axis contribute to the pathophysiology and might impact the management of ASD.
In this Special issue, we encourage contributions that examine the following areas:
- The influence of the gut microbiota and its metabolites on brain development, function, and behavior in ASD.
- Nutritional impacts on gastrointestinal integrity, immune modulation, and neurodevelopmental pathways.
- The role of gut-derived neurotransmitters (e.g., serotonin, dopamine, GABA) in ASD pathophysiology.
- The identification of microbiome-derived biomarkers for early ASD diagnosis and personalized interventions.
- The development of individualized microbiome modulation strategies for therapeutic purposes.
- Applications of artificial intelligence in elucidating ASD–microbiome interactions and biomarker discovery.
We invite original research articles, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses that investigate the link between the microbiome and ASD; nutrition and biomarker discovery in the context of ASD and the gut–brain axis; and potential personalized medicine therapeutic approaches.
Prof. Dr. Eugenia Bezirtzoglou
Dr. Christina Tsigalou
Dr. Elisavet Stavropoulou
Guest Editors
Dr. Andreas Petropoulos
Guest Editor Assistant
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Keywords
- autism spectrum disorder
- microbiome
- microbiota
- gut
- gut–brain axis
- neurotransmitters
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