SeizureBiomeDB: a unified database of gut microbiome alterations in pediatric and adult epilepsy.

Overview

1. Department of Computer Science, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada
2. Department of Biological Science, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada
3. Department of Neuroscience, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada
4. Faculty of Kinesiology and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada
5. Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Infectious Diseases, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada
6. Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada
7. Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada

Abstract

Motivation: The gut microbiome plays a critical role in health, immunity, metabolism, and brain function. Growing evidence links it to neurological health via the gut–brain axis. Seizure disorders are associated with distinct microbial changes that vary by epilepsy type and developmental stage, yet data are scattered across numerous published studies. To address this, we developed SeizureBiomeDB, a curated, open-access database that compiles research on gut microbiome alterations in epilepsy across animal models and clinical populations.

Results: A comprehensive manual literature search was performed across PubMed, Scopus, Embase, and the Web of Science, incorporating studies with case-control designs, animal experiments, and therapeutic interventions. Extracted data included demographics, seizure type, study design, methodology, and key findings related to the microbiome. The database was built using React and PostgreSQL for secure and efficient data management. SeizureBiomeDB integrates findings from over 80 studies covering pediatric, adult, and animal models. It is accessible via a global, searchable web platform. Interactive visualization tools, including an interactive heatmap and bar graphs, enhance data exploration and cross-study comparisons. To aid interpretation, microbial taxonomy (over 240 taxa) and function are linked to resources such as BacDive and MiMeDB. SeizureBiomeDB offers a structured hub to explore gut microbiome shifts across seizure subtypes and taxa levels. With robust filtering, users can easily extract relevant insights, fostering hypothesis generation for therapeutic targets. This platform underscores the significance of a centralized knowledge database in facilitating current advancements in gut microbiome research and epilepsy. Database URL: https://www.seizurebiome-db.ca/.

Reproduced under the paper's license (CC BY), from the paper cited above.

Code

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Data

No dataset and no data link were found in the paper.

Data availability

The database can be accessed through https://www.seizurebiome-db.ca/. The source code is publicly available on GitHub at https://github.com/AD-txigfwbexxk23/SeizureBiomeDB.

Reproduced under the paper's license (CC BY), from the paper cited above.

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Version 1, 27 September 2026: the first record

Recorded: type, language, journal, volume, issue, pages, dates, 7 authors, 4 funders, 24 references.

Cite

This paper

Walji, Z., Dave, P., Ali, M., Negmeldin, O., Toor, A. K., Shearer, J., & Mu, C. (2026). SeizureBiomeDB: a unified database of gut microbiome alterations in pediatric and adult epilepsy. Bioinformatics advances, 6(1), vbag198. https://doi.org/10.1093/bioadv/vbag198

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