ERA-NET MiGBAN

(Microbiome-Gut-Brain Axis in Anorexia Nervosa)

Anorexia nervosa (AN) is one of the most serious chronic disorders of adolescents and young adults. Less than 50% of affected patients fully recover and treatment options are limited.

MiGBAN (Microbiome-Gut-Brain Axis in Anorexia Nervosa) is a large, multi-center study on the interactions of the gut microbiome with the brain in patients with Anorexia nervosa.

It is funded by the European Research Area Network for Funding Neuroscience Research (ERA-NET NEURON) and includes researchers from Austria, France, Germany, and The Netherlands and coordinated by Prof. Beate Herpertz-Dahlmann and PD Jochen Seitz (University Hospital Aachen, Germany).

It comprises two randomized controlled studies (RCTs) and on observational study as well as matched translational animal experiments to help unravel the underlying mechanisms of how the microbiome influences clinical symptoms and prognosis.

The ultimate goal is to develop new therapeutic strategies against anorexia nervosa by influencing the gut microbiome via probiotics (live bacteria with beneficial effects) or nutritional interventions to help overcome this debilitating disease.