A groundbreaking UK research network has been launched to uncover how gut health influences the brain, immune system and mental wellbeing. The project will run for four years and has received £4.5 million in funding from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC).
The research network’s work could potentially lead to new treatments for conditions like anxiety, depression and dementia. A growing body of research suggests the gut, brain and immune system constantly communicate and play a critical role in mood, cognitive function and chronic illness. But scientists don’t yet fully understand how.
This network will bring together leading experts to find the missing biological links, laying the foundation for new therapies and practical lifestyle recommendations backed by science.
The UK Gut-Immunology-Brain Axis Network+ will be the first in the UK to unite experts from across research disciplines to investigate how lifestyle factors such as diet, sleep and stress influence the gut-immune-brain axis. Professor Jonathan Swann of the University of Southampton will be leading the network.
Professor Anne Ferguson-Smith, Executive Chair of the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), said: “We now understand that the gut plays a far bigger role in physical, mental and cognitive health than previously thought. Understanding of interactions between biological systems is of major importance to our understanding of human health and disease. This research network will help us uncover how the gut microbiome, immune responses, and brain function interact – leading to new, evidence-based strategies to improve well-being across all stages of life.”
Professor of Biomolecular Medicine Jonathan Swann from the University of Southampton said: “This new network will bring together expertise from across the UK to help us dive deeper into these diverse connections and help us investigate untapped areas of research such as the link between poor gut health and dementia in older age, the microbial role in infant brain development, and even their contribution to autism and ADHD.”
The network includes researchers from: University of Southampton; University of Cambridge; King’s College London; and Quadram Institute.It will collaborate with leading international researchers to ensure findings can be translated into real-world applications as quickly as possible.