So, interesting as the article is, there are two layers of caution one must exercise in interpreting the results.
#1. The experiments were conducted in mouse models. Mouse models are remarkably useful, but are NOT human equivalents. It's dangerous to draw a straight line between human behaviour and behaviour in mice. [1]
#2. Gut microbiome is the latest in the hype train. It may be important, but again, drawing such a straight (even speculative) line between gut microbiomes and behaviour is.. a reach [2,3,4].
Basically, I am, in general, very wary of any reports or articles that attempt to map results in mice to human behaviour and reports of the gut microbiomes driving autism / Alzheimer's / fear / what have you. This report combines both, so it gets extra red flags, IMO.
Just my 2 cents.. not saying this isn't possible, but the bar for assuming this is true is very very high. And the results in the paper are a small first step in a very very long process required to substantiate this hypothesis.
#1. The experiments were conducted in mouse models. Mouse models are remarkably useful, but are NOT human equivalents. It's dangerous to draw a straight line between human behaviour and behaviour in mice. [1]
#2. Gut microbiome is the latest in the hype train. It may be important, but again, drawing such a straight (even speculative) line between gut microbiomes and behaviour is.. a reach [2,3,4].
Basically, I am, in general, very wary of any reports or articles that attempt to map results in mice to human behaviour and reports of the gut microbiomes driving autism / Alzheimer's / fear / what have you. This report combines both, so it gets extra red flags, IMO.
Just my 2 cents.. not saying this isn't possible, but the bar for assuming this is true is very very high. And the results in the paper are a small first step in a very very long process required to substantiate this hypothesis.
[1] https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/325255.php#1
[2] https://www.nature.com/articles/s41579-019-0283-5
[3] https://www.nature.com/news/microbiology-microbiome-science-...
[4] https://www.irishtimes.com/news/science/hyping-the-microbiom...