Temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) is a neurological disorder affecting millions of people worldwide and currently represents the most common form of focal epilepsy. Thus, the search for aetiological and pathophysiological parameters of TLE is ongoing.
Preclinical work and post-mortem human studies suggest adult hippocampal neurogenesis
as a potentially relevant factor in TLE pathogenesis. Although progress
has been made in elucidating the molecular links between TLE and
hippocampal neurogenesis, recent evidence suggests that additional
peripheral mediators may be involved.
The
microbiota-gut-brain axis mediates bidirectional communication between
the gut and the brain and could comprise a link between neurogenesis and
TLE. In this review, we discuss emerging evidence highlighting a
potential role for the gut microbiome in connecting TLE pathogenesis and hippocampal neurogenesis. We focus in particular on mechanisms associated with neuronal excitability, neuroinflammation
and gut microbial metabolites. As the evidence does not yet support a
direct link between gut microbiota-regulated hippocampal neurogenesis
and TLE aetiology or pathophysiology,
future studies are needed to establish whether current findings
comprise circumstantial links or a potentially novel avenue for
clinically relevant research.
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