Compositions and methods comprising bacteria for improving behavior in neurodevelopmental disorders
Some embodiments include bacterial species for use in treatment of one or more autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and/or schizophrenia symptoms in a subject in need thereof. The subject in need thereof can have a gut microbiota signature characteristic of an adult. The bacterial species can include Bacteroides (e.g., B. fragilis, B. thetaiomtaomicron , and/or B. vulgatus ), and/or Enterococcus (e.g., E. faecalis, E. faecium, E. hirae, E. avium, E. durans, E. gallinarum , or E. casseliflavus ). Upon treatment, one or more ASD-related behaviors can be improved in the subject.
1. A method for improving behavioral performance in a human subject, the method comprising:
identifying a human subject who is at least 20 years old, having:
anxiety, autism spectrum disorder (ASD), or schizophrenia; and
an adult gut microbiota signature, said adult gut microbiota signature comprising at least 500 different species of microbes,
as a human subject in need of improving behavioral performance; and
administering to the human subject in need of improving behavioral performance an effective amount of one or more Bacteroides bacteria, thereby improving behavioral performance in the human subject.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the subject suffers from ASD.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the effective amount of one or more Bacteroides bacteria comprises B. fragilis.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the effective amount of one or more Bacteroides bacteria comprises B. fragilis, B. thetaiotaomicron, B. vulgatus , or a mixture of two or three of the listed bacteria.
5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising administering an amount of Enterococcus bacteria to the human subject.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein said administering consists essentially of administering the effective amount of the one or more Bacteroides bacteria.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the one or more Bacteroides bacteria is B. fragilis.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the effective amount of one or more Bacteroides bacteria is in a composition substantially free of bacteria other than the Bacteroides bacteria.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the effective amount of one or more Bacteroides bacteria is in a composition substantially free of bacteria other than B. fragilis.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the effective amount of one or more Bacteroides bacteria is administered orally.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein improving behavioral performance comprises improving a communication behavior, a repetitive behavior, anxiety, or a combination of two or three of these listed behaviors.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the effective amount of the one or more Bacteroides bacteria is administered in a single composition.
13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the effective amount of the one or more Bacteroides bacteria is administered in two or more compositions.
14. The method of claim 5 , wherein the Enterococcus bacteria is selected from the group consisting of: E. faecilis, E. faecium, E. hirae, E. avium, E. durans, E. gallinarum , and E. casseliflavus.
15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the gut microbiota signature comprises at least 1000 different species of microbes.
16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the gut microbiota signature comprises at least 500 different species of microbes as determined by comparison of sequences of 16s rRNA subunits.