Microglia Protection, Repair & Replacement & Microbiome Re-Colonization

A public Health Approach to Criminal Justice

Val's Take/Conjecture

• People with Neuro-Developmental Disorders and an IQ over 70 make up a large contingent of the Justice-Involved population.
• Further, it is not just not just ADHD and Autism.  Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder are also considered Developmental Disorders and others may be as well.
  

As we're slowly moving from the SYMPTOM-CLUSTERS of the DSM to BIOMARKERS we're finding a COMPLEX ENVIRONMENT in which multiple systems of the body appear impacted in highly idiosyncratic ways by Maternal Immune Activation IN UTERO.

• The truth is some current medications can be protective of the microglia --- for some people.
• We're starting to understand the complexity of what is going on --- in a way we haven't in the past.
  

First Gut Microbiome Map for Personalized Food Responses
(Yale, 2024)

Key Facts:

• Gut bacteria respond differently to the same food molecules in different people.
• The study mapped 150 food compounds’ effects on gut microbiomes.
• This research could lead to personalized dietary recommendations for better health.
  

Tuning neural circuits and behaviors by microglia in the adult brain. (2024)

Microglia are the primary immune cells of the CNS, contributing to both inflammatory damage and tissue repair in neurological disorder. ...We discuss current studies utilizing microglial optogenetic and chemogenetic approaches to modulate adult neural circuits. Thes …

Maternal immune activation and neuroinflammation in human neurodevelopmental disorders  (2021)

Evidence from human and animal studies indicates that maternal immune activation programmes the fetal brain and immune system through inflammatory and epigenetic mechanisms during key periods of CNS, microglial and immune system development, and colonization of gut.

Conclusion

• Researchers are providing a much more comprehensive narrative and understanding of Neuro-Developmental and Psychiatric Disorders.
• These new understandings are also relevant for:
  • Autoimmune Disorders
  • Cancer
  • Dementia, and
  • Neuro-Degenerative Disorders
• With respect to Neuro-Developmental/Psychiatric Continuum:
  • A focus on improving Microglial health as well as
  • Re-colonization of the gut could go a long way to addressing the effects of Maternal Immune Activation.