Characterization of the gut microbiota in Cdkl5 deficiency disorder patients

New links between the intestinal microbiota and brain function are emerging, suggesting the involvement of signals coming from gut microbes in neural development and behavior. Also, the gut microbiota seems to play a role in a variety of neurological diseases, including autism and neurodevelopmental disorders. Since patients affected by cyclin-dependent kinase-like 5 (CDKL5) deficiency disorder (CDD) often show gastrointestinal problems as comorbidity, we intend to study the gut microbiota in CDD patients to identify new disease biomarkers. By providing key information about alterations in the intestinal microbial community of CDD patients with respect to neurotypical subjects, our study will deliver fundamental evidence for the development of future therapeutic strategies targeting the gut microbiota for the treatment of this devastating neurodevelopmental disorder.