Microbial Influences on Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: The Gut-Brain Axis and Therapeutic Potential of Microbiota Modulation

Background/Objectives Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the pro-gressive degeneration of motor neurons. The gut microbiota, a community of microorganisms residing in the digestive tract, has recently been implicated in ALS pathogenesis through its in-fluence on neuroinflammation and metabolic pathways. This review explores the potential role of digestive microbiota and its metabolites in ALS progression and investigates therapeutic ap-proaches targeting gut microbiota. Methods A comprehensive review of current literature was conducted to assess the relationship between gut microbiota composition, microbial metabolites, and ALS progression in patients. Special emphasis was placed on studies exploring short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), bacterial amyloids (curli-like factors), and neurotoxins such as β-methylamino-L-alanine (BMAA). The role of the liver-gut axis was evaluated as well. The potential changes in microbiota would sustain the rationale of ther-apeutic strategies such as probiotics, prebiotics, fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT), and die-tary interventions. Results ALS patients exhibit gut dysbiosis, characterized by reduced SCFA-producing bacteria and an increase in potentially pathogenic genera. Of note, different studies do not agree on common patterns of microbiota being linked to ALS, supporting the need for further, larger studies. In some cases, dysbiosis correlates with systemic inflammation and disrupted liver function, amplifying neuroinflammatory responses. Key microbial metabolites, including SCFAs, bacterial amyloids, and BMAA, may exacerbate motor neuron degeneration by promoting protein misfolding, oxi-dative stress, and neuroinflammation. Emerging therapeutic strategies, including probiotics and FMT, show potential in restoring microbial balance, although clinical data in ALS patients remains limited. Conclusions The gut microbiota could modulate neuroinflammation and systemic metabolism in ALS. Mi-crobiota-targeted therapies, such as probiotics and dietary interventions, represent promising avenues for mitigating disease progression. Further research is required to validate these inter-ventions through large-scale, longitudinal studies, and to develop personalized microbiota-based treatments tailored to individual ALS phenotypes.