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 44
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
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 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
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-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Nutrients is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly 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 2900 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.
Keywords
- autism spectrum disorder
- microbiome
- microbiota
- gut
- gut–brain axis
- neurotransmitters
Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue
- Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
- Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
- Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
- External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
- Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.
Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.
