Available online 28 October 2022

Huntington's disease (HD) is a fatal neurodegenerative disorder caused by an autosomal dominant trinucleotide (CAG) tandem repeat, resulting in complex motor, psychiatric and cognitive symptoms as well as gastrointestinal disturbances and other peripheral symptoms. There are currently no disease-modifying treatments, and the peripheral pathology of the disorder is not well understood. Emerging evidence suggests that the bi-directional communication pathways between the gut and the brain, including the microbiota-gut-brain axis, can affect motor, psychiatric and cognitive symptoms as well as weight loss and sexual dimorphism seen in HD. Furthermore, both HD and the microbiota-gut-brain axis can be influenced by environmental factors, opening potential new avenues to explore therapeutic options for this devastating disorder.

Gut disruption

Microbial disruption

Microbiota

Microbiome

Huntington's disease

Neurodegenerative disease

Tandem-repeat disorder

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