Evidence mapPaperPMID 40993787Full record

ReviewJournal of translational medicine2025

Synbiotics in Alzheimer's disease: mechanisms, clinical evidence, and therapeutic prospects.

Yuhua Lin, Rongping Weng, Huayang Pan, Yangbo Hou, Yipeng Sun, Junkai Wen

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Journal of translational medicine, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Foods (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026
    Article
  2. Butyrate Is Associated with the Antidepressant Effects ofInternational journal of molecular sciences · 2026
    Article
  3. Review
  4. Review
  5. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Yuhua Lin *Department of Respiratory Medicine, Xiamen TCM Hospital, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Xiamen, 361000, Fujian Province, China.
Rongping Weng *Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Xiamen Siming District Kaiyuan Subdistrict Community Health Service Center, Xiamen, 361000, Fujian Province, China.
Huayang Pan *Department of Infectious Diseases, Henan Province Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou, 450002, China.
Yangbo HouDepartment of Neurology, Putuo Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 200062, China. houyangbo2021@163.com.
Yipeng SunDepartment of Respiratory Medicine, Putuo Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 200062, China. docsunyp@163.com.
Junkai WenDepartment of Oncology, Shuguang Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 201203, China. tcmwjk@163.com.

Funding

National Natural Science Foundation of China (Youth) Program 82405349
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundGrowing evidence implicates gut microbiota (GM) dysbiosis in Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathogenesis via the gut-brain axis. Dysbiosis contributes to neuroinflammation, amyloid-β deposition, tau hyperphosphorylation, blood-brain barrier disruption, and cognitive decline. Synbiotics (combinations of probiotics and prebiotics) offer a promising strategy to modulate GM, potentially ameliorating these AD hallmarks through multiple mechanisms including enhanced production of neuroprotective short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), reduced inflammation, improved gut barrier integrity, and immunomodulation.

objectiveThis review critically evaluates the current evidence on the therapeutic potential of synbiotics for AD. It aims to synthesize findings from preclinical and clinical studies regarding the efficacy of synbiotics in improving cognitive function and AD pathology, elucidate the underlying biological mechanisms including GM modulation, SCFA production, immune regulation, and gut-brain signaling, and identify key challenges and future research directions for translating GM-targeted interventions into effective AD therapies.

conclusionSynbiotics demonstrate significant potential, particularly in early AD, by improving cognitive domains, reducing neuroinflammation and AD biomarkers, and modulating beneficial microbial metabolites. However, challenges include confounding factors, unresolved questions about causality, inconsistent results in advanced disease, and insufficient large-scale human trials. Future success hinges on rigorous longitudinal randomized controlled trials integrating multi-omics approaches, advanced in vitro models, and personalized strategies considering baseline microbiota and host genetics. While not a standalone cure, synbiotics represent a valuable component within multi-target therapeutic approaches aimed at modulating the gut-brain axis to slow AD progression.

Indexed as

Alzheimer DiseaseBrain-Gut AxisCognitionGastrointestinal MicrobiomeSynbioticsAnimalsClinical Studies as TopicHumansGut microbiotaMitigating Alzheimer diseaseSynbiotic clinical relevanceTreatment of neurodegenerative disorders

Identifiers

PMID40993787
PMCPMC12462281

What Socratic holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.