Gut-brain axis mediated therapeutic intervention to mitigate the epileptogenesis: insights from Drosophila melanogaster.

Abstract

Drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE) is a prominent concern in the management of recurrent seizures. Anti-seizure medications (ASM), surgical intervention, and neurostimulation are a few classical remedial measures of epilepsy. Nevertheless, DRE requires immense investigation, a comprehensive understanding of holistic management, and additional therapeutic effects. Dysbiosis, an imbalance of the gut microbiome, is the foremost concern associated with various neurological disorders. In epilepsy, the gut microbiome plays a pivotal role in its pathophysiology, unveiling new avenues for microbiome-mediated strategies to treat epileptic patients. Furthermore, the differential gut microbial composition in epileptic patients serves as a cornerstone for advanced research to delineate the influence of each bacterial species on epilepsy. Drosophila melanogaster, a simple model organism with an evolutionarily conserved gut microbiome composition, can be efficiently deployed to scrutinize the role of discrete microbes and their influence on the gut-brain axis, impacting neurological disorders. In this review, the role of distinct bacterial species in influencing epileptic conditions and how model organisms like Drosophila can be employed to explore this realm are deliberated as a comprehensive overview.