Evidence mapPaperPMID 41774188Full record

ReviewCellular and molecular life sciences : CMLS2026

Microbes, mood, and metabolism/obesity: Pharmacological insights into the gut-obesity-depression triad.

Archana Yadav, Girish C Melkani

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Cellular and molecular life sciences : CMLS, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing 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

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. 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

2 authors.

Archana YadavDepartment of Pathology, Division of Molecular and Cellular Pathology, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, 35294, USA.
Girish C MelkaniDepartment of Pathology, Division of Molecular and Cellular Pathology, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, 35294, USA. girishmelkani@uabmc.edu.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0353-4633

Funding

Research Development CoreP30AG050886 · UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM · 2025 to 2025
$1.2M
National Institute of Aging AG065992NIA NIH HHS P30 AG050886
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The global rise in obesity and depression, two highly prevalent and often comorbid disorders has intensified interest in the gut–brain axis as a shared biological link. Mounting evidence indicates that the gut microbiota profoundly influences both metabolic and neuropsychiatric regulation, positioning it as a promising therapeutic target for these interconnected conditions. This review explores the complex interactions among microbial dysbiosis, host metabolism, and mood regulation, emphasizing pharmacological strategies that harness this triad for treatment. Gut-derived hormones such as glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and microbiome-produced metabolites, including short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and bile acids, have demonstrated potential to modulate appetite, insulin sensitivity, inflammation, and brain function. GLP-1 receptor agonists like semaglutide originally developed for diabetes and obesity also exhibit antidepressant properties, highlighting their dual therapeutic promise. Emerging microbiome-based interventions, such as precision probiotics, engineered psychobiotics, and fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT), are being investigated to restore microbial balance and improve both metabolic and mood outcomes. Furthermore, combination therapies pairing microbiota-targeted agents with conventional antidepressants or anti-obesity drugs may offer synergistic benefits, enhance efficacy while minimize adverse effects. Despite this promise, significant challenges remain, including ensuring safety, understanding long-term impacts, navigating regulatory hurdles for live biotherapeutics, and addressing ethical concerns about altering the human microbiome. A deeper understanding of the gut–microbiome–brain axis may ultimately enable personalized, microbiota-guided therapies that treat both the physiological and psychological dimensions of obesity and depression, marking a major step toward holistic and precision medicine.

Indexed as

AffectDepressionGastrointestinal MicrobiomeObesityAnimalsAntidepressive AgentsAnti-Obesity AgentsDysbiosisHumansProbioticsSemaglutideAntidepressive AgentsAnti-Obesity AgentsSemaglutideDepressionGLP-1 receptor agonistsGut-brain axisMicrobial dysbiosisMicrobiomeMicrobiome-targeted therapyObesityPharmacological interventionsPsychobiotics

Identifiers

PMID41774188
PMCPMC12979749

What Socratic holds

Texttitle and abstract
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

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.