Logan Alan C, Cordell Barbara, Pillai Suresh D, Robinson Jake M, Prescott Susan L
Nova Institute for Health, Baltimore, MD 21231, USA.
Auto-Brewery Syndrome Information and Research, Carthage, TX 75633, USA.
Brain Sci. 2025 Sep 13;15(9):984. doi: 10.3390/brainsci15090984.
The idea that gut microbes or a "bacillus of crime" might promote criminal behavior was popularized in the early 20th century. Today, advances in neuromicrobiology and related omics technologies are lending credibility to the idea. In recent cases of dismissal of driving while intoxicated charges, courts in the United States and Europe have acknowledged that gut microbes can manufacture significant amounts of systemically available ethanol, without a defendant's awareness. Indeed, emergent research is raising difficult questions for criminal justice systems that depend on prescientific notions of free moral agency. Evidence demonstrates that gut microbes play a role in neurophysiology, influencing cognition and behaviors. This may lead to justice involvement via involuntary intoxication, aggression, anger, irritability, and antisocial behavior. Herein, we discuss these 'auto-brewery syndrome' court decisions, arguing that they portend a much larger incorporation of neuromicrobiology and multi-omics science within the criminal justice system. The legalome, which refers to the application of gut microbiome and omics sciences in the context of forensic psychiatry/psychology, will likely play an increasing role in 21st century criminal justice. The legalome concept is bolstered by epidemiology, mechanistic bench science, fecal transplant studies, multi-omics and polygenic research, Mendelian randomization work, microbiome signature research, and human intervention trials. However, a more robust body of microbiota-gut-brain axis research is needed, especially through the lens of prevention, intervention, and rehabilitation. With ethical guardrails in place, greater inclusion of at-risk or justice-involved persons in brain science and microbiome research has the potential to transform justice systems for the better.
肠道微生物或“犯罪杆菌”可能促发犯罪行为的观点在20世纪初得到了广泛传播。如今，神经微生物学及相关组学技术的进展使这一观点更具可信度。在美国和欧洲近期一些醉酒驾车指控被驳回的案件中，法院已承认肠道微生物能够在被告不知情的情况下制造出大量可被全身利用的乙醇。事实上，新兴研究正在给依赖前科学的自由道德行为观念的刑事司法系统提出难题。有证据表明，肠道微生物在神经生理学中发挥作用，影响认知和行为。这可能通过非自愿醉酒、攻击行为、愤怒、易怒和反社会行为导致涉法问题。在此，我们讨论这些“自动酿酒综合征”的法庭判决，认为它们预示着神经微生物学和多组学科学将在刑事司法系统中得到更大程度的整合。法律组学是指肠道微生物组学和组学科学在法医精神病学/心理学背景下的应用，很可能在21世纪的刑事司法中发挥越来越大的作用。流行病学、机制性基础科学、粪便移植研究、多组学和多基因研究、孟德尔随机化研究、微生物组特征研究以及人体干预试验都支持法律组学这一概念。然而，我们还需要更强大的微生物群 - 肠 - 脑轴研究体系，尤其是从预防、干预和康复的角度。在有道德保障措施的情况下，让更多有风险或涉法人员参与脑科学和微生物组研究有潜力使司法系统变得更好。
