Laboratory of Nutritional Psychiatry (NUPS)
ions | Bruxelles Woluwe, Louvain-la-Neuve
Research
The gut microbiota is now considered a key factor in the development of psychiatric disorders, and nutrition is a main modulator shaping the gut microbiota. In the lab, we are using preclinical and clinical approaches to decipher the mechanisms underlying the gut-brain communication, particularly in the context of alcohol use disorder and major depression disorder. We are mainly interested in assessing gut microbiota composition (metagenomics) and function (metabolomics), inflammation (measurement of inflammatory cytokines), behaviour (emotion, cognition, sociability) and brain activity (MRI). We are conducting randomized, double blind, placebo controlled clinical studies to investigate the impact of nutritional interventions on the psychological symptoms developed by psychiatric patients.
Publications
-
-
Article de journalPetit, G., Selim, M., Canals, S., Stärkel, P., Dricot, L., Poncin, M., Leclercq, S., & de Timary, P. (2026). Early abstinence in severe alcohol use disorder: MCP-1 decline, choroid plexus shrinkage, and region-specific grey-matter volume changes. Translational Psychiatry, 16(1), 12. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41398-026-03907-9 (Original work published 2026)
-
-
-
-
Article de journalAmadieu, C., Ahmed, H., Leclercq, S., Koistinen, V., Leyrolle, Q., Starkel, P., Bindels, L., Layé, S., Neyrinck, A., Kärkkäinen, O., de Timary, P., Hanhineva, K., & Delzenne, N. (2025). Effect of inulin supplementation on fecal and blood metabolome in alcohol use disorder patients: A randomised, controlled dietary intervention. Clinical Nutrition ESPEN, 66, 361-371. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clnesp.2025.01.046 (Original work published 2025)
-
-
Neyrinck, A., Ahmed, H., Leyrolle, Q., Leclercq, S., Amadieu, C., Meuronen, T., Layé, S., Cani, P., Kärkkäinen, O., Bindels, L., Hanhineva, K., & Delzenne, N. (2025). Fecal transplantation from humans with obesity to mice drives a selective microbial signature without impacting behavioral and metabolic health. Scientific Reports, 15(1), 15455 [1-13]. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-99047-z (Original work published 2025)
-
-
-
Article de journalMornard, M., de Timary, P., & Leclercq, S. (2024). What role does the gut microbiota play in alcohol use disorder? Médecine des Maladies Métaboliques. Accepted/in-press. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mmm.2024.08.004 (Original work published 2024)
-
Borrelli, S., Leclercq, S., Pasi, M., & Maggi, P. (2024). Cerebral small vessel disease and glymphatic system dysfunction in multiple sclerosis: A narrative review. Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders, 91(10), 105878. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.msard.2024.105878 (Original work published 2024)
-
Chapitre de livreLeclercq, S., & de Timary, P. (2024). Role of the Microbiome and the Gut-Brain Axis in Alcohol Use Disorder: Potential Implication for Treatment Development. In Collectif (ed.), Current Topics in Behavioral Neurosciences (p. p). Springer Nature. https://doi.org/10.1007/7854_2024_478
-
-
-
Papier de conférenceBukowski, H., Bigot, A., Leclercq, S., Tiberi, L., Amadieu, C., Peeters, J.-C., Saloppé, X., Nandrino, J.-L., Pham, T., & de Timary, P. (2023). Self-other distinction performance in alcohol use disorder and antisocial personality disorder. North American Society for the Study of Personality Disorders (NASSPD) Conference 2023, Waltham, Massachusetts, USA.
-
Article de journalBiémar, V., & Leclercq, S. (2023). Les psychobiotiques, futur traitement de la dépression ? Pratiques en Nutrition : santé et alimentation, 19(75), 21-23. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pranut.2023.05.006 (Original work published 2023)
-
-
-
Papier de conférenceAmadieu, C., Leclercq, S., Neyrinck, A., Starkel, P., de Timary, P., & Delzenne, N. (2021). Effect of a nutritional modulation of the gut-brain axis in alcohol-dependent patients. Clinical Nutrition ESPEN, 46, S665-S666. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clnesp.2021.09.347 (Original work published 2021)
-
Article de journalKnudsen, C., Neyrinck, A., Leyrolle, Q., Baldin, P., Leclercq, S., Rodriguez, J., Beaumont, M., Cani, P., Bindels, L., Lanthier, N., & Delzenne, N. (2021). Hepatoprotective Effects of Indole, a Gut Microbial Metabolite, in Leptin-Deficient Obese Mice. The Journal of Nutrition, 151(6), 1507-1516. https://doi.org/10.1093/jn/nxab032 (Original work published 2021)
-
Chapitre de livre
-
-
-
Article de journalLeclercq, S., Le Roy, T., Furgiuele, S., Coste, V., Bindels, L., Leyrolle, Q., Neyrinck, A., Quoilin, C., Amadieu, C., Petit, G., Dricot, L., Tagliatti, V., Cani, P., Verbeke, K., Colet, J.-M., Starkel, P., de Timary, P., & Delzenne, N. (2020). Gut Microbiota-Induced Changes in β-Hydroxybutyrate Metabolism Are Linked to Altered Sociability and Depression in Alcohol Use Disorder. Cell Reports, 33(2), 108238 [1-24]. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2020.108238 (Original work published 2020)
-
-
-
Article de journal
-
-
-
Article de journalStarkel, P., Leclercq, S., de Timary, P., & Schnabl, B. (2018). Intestinal dysbiosis and permeability: the yin and yang in alcohol dependence and alcoholic liver disease. Clinical Science, 132(2), 199-212. https://doi.org/10.1042/CS20171055 (Original work published 2018)
-
Suriano, F., Neyrinck, A., Verspreet, J., Olivares Sevilla, M., Leclercq, S., Van de Wiele, T., Courtin, C. M., Cani, P., Bindels, L., & Delzenne, N. (2018). Particle size determines the anti-inflammatory effect of wheat bran in a model of fructose over-consumption: Implication of the gut microbiota. Journal of Functional Foods, 41, 155-162. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jff.2017.12.035 (Original work published 2018)
-
Molitor, C., Maurage, P., Petit, G., Poncin, M., Leclercq, S., Rolland, B., & de Timary, P. (2018). Les symptômes thymiques liés à l’usage d’alcool. Annales médico-psychologiques, 176(8), 813-818. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amp.2018.08.009 (Original work published 2018)
-
-
-
Article de journalLeclercq, S., Mian, F. M., Stanisz, A. M., Bindels, L., Cambier, E., Ben-Amram, H., Koren, O., Forsythe, P., & Bienenstock, J. (2017). Low-dose penicillin in early life induces long-term changes in murine gut microbiota, brain cytokines and behavior. Nature Communications, 8, 15062 ^1-12]. https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms15062 (Original work published 2017)
-
Leclercq, S., de Timary, P., Delzenne, N., & Starkel, P. (2017). The link between inflammation, bugs, the intestine and the brain in alcohol dependence. Translational Psychiatry, 7(2), e1048 [1-12]. https://doi.org/10.1038/tp.2017.15 (Original work published 2017)
-
de Timary, P., Starkel, P., Delzenne, N., & Leclercq, S. (2017). A role for the peripheral immune system in the development of alcohol use disorders? Neuropharmacology, 122, 148-160. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuropharm.2017.04.013 (Original work published 2017)
-
Papier de conférence
-
-
-
Article de journalLeclercq, S., Forsythe, P., & Bienenstock, J. (2016). Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: Does the Gut Microbiome Hold the Key? The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 61(4), 204-213. https://doi.org/10.1177/0706743716635535 (Original work published 2016)
-
Papier de conférence
-
Chapitre de livreStarkel, P., Leclercq, S., Delzenne, N., & de Timary, P. (2016). Alcohol-Dependence and the Microbiota-Gut-Brain Axis. In Niall Hyland, Catherine Stanton (eds.) (ed.), The Gut-Brain Axis. Dietary, Probiotic, and Prebiotic Interventions on the Microbiota (p. p. 363-390). ELSEVIER. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-802304-4.00017-7
-
-
-
Papier de conférenceLeclercq, S., Matamoros, S., Cani, P., Jamar, F., Starkel, P., de Timary, P., Delzenne, N., & et al. (2014). Increased intestinal permeability is related to gut bacterial dysbiosis and behavioral markers of addiction severity in alcohol-dependent subjects. Alcohol and Alcoholism, 49(1), i33. https://doi.org/10.1093/alcalc/agu052.161 (Original work published 2014)
-
Article de journalLeclercq, S., Matamoros, S., Cani, P., Neyrinck, A., Jamar, F., Starkel, P., Windey, K., Tremaroli, V., Backhed, F., Verbeke, K., de Timary, P., & Delzenne, N. (2014). Intestinal permeability, gut-bacterial dysbiosis, and behavioral markers of alcohol-dependence severity. Proceedings of the National academy of sciences of the United States of America, 111(42), E4485-E4493. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1415174111 (Original work published 2014)
-
-
-
Article de journalLeclercq, S., Cani, P., Neyrinck, A., Starkel, P., Jamar, F., Mikolajczak, M., Delzenne, N., & de Timary, P. (2012). Role of intestinal permeability and inflammation in the biological and behavioral control of alcohol-dependent subjects. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, 26(6), 911-918. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbi.2012.04.001 (Original work published 2012)
-