About the Special Issue

Gut microbiota (GM) is a complex and dynamic community of microorganisms residing in the human gastrointestinal tract that play a pivotal role in metabolic homeostasis. GM is involved in host nutrition, enhancing immune responses, and modulating the function of the gut-brain axis. The emerging omics techniques like high-throughput genomics, transcriptomics and metabolomics, have provided unprecedented insights into the profound impact of gut microbiota on the pathogenesis of metabolic diseases, type 2 diabetes, inflammatory bowel diseases, liver diseases, and cancer. 

Dysbiosis, or imbalance of the gut microbiome, has been strongly associated with metabolic dysfunctions, systemic inflammation, and insulin resistance. Targeted interventions to modulate gut microbiota through tailored diets, prebiotics, probiotics, and faecal microbiota transplantation present promising therapeutic opportunities. Moreover, metabolites derived from gut microbiota, such as short-chain fatty acids and bile acids, act as essential molecular mediators in host-microbe communication and be replaced by metabolite supplementation. These metabolites not only influence critical metabolic pathways but also serve as valuable biomarkers for disease stratification and predicting treatment responses. But other approaches, like engineered bacteriophages, microbiota editing via molecular tools, and gut epithelial barrier modulation may reveal promising approaches for targeted and precise interventions in gut health.

The integration of personalized approaches that target gut microbiota into clinical practice holds immense promise for the future of metabolic disease management. By aligning therapeutic interventions with individual microbiome signatures, precision healthcare can offer more effective, tailored treatments, transforming how metabolic disorders are diagnosed, treated, and potentially prevented.

Keywords: Cancer; Diabetes; gut dysbiosis; IBD (inflammatory Bowel Disease); Metabolic disease; Obesity; Personalized medicine; Therapeutic targets

Call for Papers