Antibiotics as Major Disruptors of Gut Microbiota
A special issue of Antibiotics (ISSN 2079-6382).
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 December 2024 | Viewed by 14925
Special Issue Editor
Interests: infectious diseases; tropical diseases; antibiotics; antibiotic consumption; microbiome; microbiome and diseases; antibiotic-consumption related non-contagious diseases
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The term human microbiome refers to the complete set of genes contained in the entire collection of microorganisms that live in the human body. The abundance, diversity, and features of microorganisms’ genes are collectively known as the human microbiome, which is considered a “new organ” regarding its numerous roles in health and diseases. The human microbiome is comprised of almost 40 trillion bacterial cells and about 30 trillion human ones, revising the notion of the ratio closer to 1:1. Most microbes belong to five major phyla: Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Actinobacteria, Proteobacteria, and Verrucomicrobia. The human gut microbiota has received considerable interest in recent years and our knowledge of the inhabitant species and their potential applications is increased particularly after the development of metagenomic studies.
Antibiotics are considered the most important and widely used agents influencing the composition of the gut microbiome entering humans either as therapeutics or from the environment. The modification in the composition and function of the gut microbiota can change intestinal permeability, digestion and metabolism as well as immune responses. The pro-inflammatory state caused by the alternation of gut microbiota balance led to the onset of many diseases ranging from gastrointestinal and metabolic conditions to immunological and neuropsychiatric diseases. The impact of antimicrobial agents used therapeutically or as prophylaxis on normal gastrointestinal microbiota causes disturbances in the ecosystem’s equilibrium. In all cases, disequilibrium and alterations in the microbiota ecology depend on the involved drug and its pharmacokinetic profile. The effect of antibiotic drugs on the human microbiome is complex and bi-directional. Except for direct effects, antibiotics can also indirectly affect human microbiota. The gut microbiota dysbiosis following exposure to antimicrobial agents may cause the dysregulation of immune responses as well.
When we consider discussing the antibiotic’s effect on the gut microbiome, we must keep in our mind that different classes of antibiotics produce different dysbiosis and hence different consequences might be expected. Recent publications indicated that the dominant consumption patterns in different European countries are associated with the higher prevalence/incidence of different metabolic, neurodegenerative and malignant diseases.
The Special Issue of Antibiotics intends to receive manuscripts exploring this area of association.
Prof. Dr. Gábor Ternák
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Antibiotics is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- microbiome
- gut flora
- development of gut flora
- dysbiosis
- antibiotics
- antibiotic classes
- antibiotic consumption
- gut–brain axis
- short-chain fatty acids
- metabolom
- mediator molecules
- composition of gut flora
Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue
- Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
- Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
- Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
- External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
- e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.
Further information on MDPI's Special Issue polices can be found here.