Interaction of the Gut Microbiome and Immunity in Multiple Sclerosis: Impact of Diet and Immune Therapy

Abstract

The bidirectional communication between the gut and central nervous system (CNS) through microbiota is known as the microbiota–gut–brain axis. The brain, through the enteric neural innervation and the vagus nerve, influences the gut physiological activities (motility, mucin, and peptide secretion), as well as the development of the mucosal immune system. Conversely, the gut can influence the CNS via intestinal microbiota, its metabolites, and gut-homing immune cells. Growing evidence suggests that gut immunity is critically involved in gut–brain communication during health and diseases, including multiple sclerosis (MS). The gut microbiota can influence the development and function of gut immunity, and conversely, the innate and adaptive mucosal immunity can influence microbiota composition. Gut and systemic immunity, along with gut microbiota, are perturbed in MS. Diet and disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) can affect the composition of the gut microbial community, leading to changes in gut and peripheral immunity, which ultimately affects MS. A high-fat diet is highly associated with gut dysbiosis-mediated inflammation and intestinal permeability, while a high-fiber diet/short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) can promote the development of Foxp3 Tregs and improvement in intestinal barrier function, which subsequently suppress CNS autoimmunity in the animal model of MS (experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis or EAE). This review will address the role of gut immunity and its modulation by diet and DMTs via gut microbiota during MS pathophysiology.