Rewiring bugs: Diet, the gut microbiome, and nerve regeneration

Microbiome-to-nervous-system interactions are gaining much attention in fields that study health and dis-ease, and diet is considered to be a key mediator in this communication. In a recent issue of Nature, Serger et al. show that, following nerve crush injury, intermittent fasting improves axonal regeneration through increased production of the microbially derived metabolite indole-3-propionate.

Automated summary

This study demonstrates that intermittent fasting can promote axonal regeneration by increasing the production of the microbially derived metabolite indole-3-propionate following nerve crush injury.