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Current Research on the Role of the Gut Microbiota in Human Diseases and Health

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Microbiology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 March 2025 | Viewed by 2386

Special Issue Editor

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In the current era of omics technologies, the intestinal microbiome is a prevalent topic in human health that is of interest to experts in all medical specialties. Early research on the gut microbiome took place in the 1840s, when Metchnikov's seminal work laid the scientific foundation for the existence of gut microorganisms and presented the first ideas about their clinical applications.

The accessibility of this field is constantly growing; while only one scientific paper was published on this subject per month in the year 2000, today, there are about 1000. In 2007, the Human Microbiome Project was launched by the US National Institute of Health, whose mission was to generate the resources and expertise needed to characterize the human microbiome and analyze its role in health and disease. This Special Issue focuses on recent research progress on the microbiome, including the impact of diet on the microbiota and the influence of gut microbiota metabolites on human health and disease.

We invite experts interested in this thematic issue to submit original manuscripts and reviews on any of the above-mentioned topics.

Prof. Dr. Sanda Cretoiu
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • microbiota
  • microbiome
  • gut microbiome metabolites
  • dysbiosis
  • gut–organ axis
  • gut microbiota pathogens
  • diet

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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15 pages, 3088 KiB  
Article
A Recombinant Shigella flexneri Strain Expressing ETEC Heat-Labile Enterotoxin B Subunit Shows Promise for Vaccine Development via OMVs
by Josune Salvador-Erro, Yadira Pastor and Carlos Gamazo
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(23), 12535; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms252312535 - 22 Nov 2024
Viewed by 307
Abstract
Diarrheal diseases caused by Shigella and enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) are significant health burdens, especially in resource-limited regions with high child mortality. In response to the lack of licensed vaccines and rising antibiotic resistance for these pathogens, this study developed a recombinant Shigella [...] Read more.
Diarrheal diseases caused by Shigella and enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) are significant health burdens, especially in resource-limited regions with high child mortality. In response to the lack of licensed vaccines and rising antibiotic resistance for these pathogens, this study developed a recombinant Shigella flexneri strain with the novel incorporation of the eltb gene for the heat-labile enterotoxin B (LTB) subunit of ETEC directly into Shigella’s genome, enhancing stability and consistent production. This approach combines the immunogenic potential of LTB with the antigen delivery properties of S. flexneri outer membrane vesicles (OMVs), aiming to provide cross-protection against both bacterial pathogens in a stable, non-replicating vaccine platform. We confirmed successful expression through GM1-capture ELISA, achieving levels comparable to ETEC. Additionally, proteomic analysis verified that the isolated vesicles from the recombinant strains contain the LTB protein and the main outer membrane proteins and virulence factors from Shigella, including OmpA, OmpC, IcsA, SepA, and Ipa proteins, and increased expression of Slp and OmpX. Thus, our newly designed S. flexneri OMVs, engineered to carry ETEC’s LTB toxin, represent a promising strategy to be considered as a subunit vaccine candidate against S. flexneri and ETEC. Full article
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Review

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29 pages, 1195 KiB  
Review
Gut Microbiota Disruption in Hematologic Cancer Therapy: Molecular Insights and Implications for Treatment Efficacy
by Patricia Guevara-Ramírez, Santiago Cadena-Ullauri, Elius Paz-Cruz, Viviana A. Ruiz-Pozo, Rafael Tamayo-Trujillo, Alejandro Cabrera-Andrade and Ana Karina Zambrano
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(19), 10255; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms251910255 - 24 Sep 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1639
Abstract
Hematologic malignancies (HMs), including leukemia, lymphoma, and multiple myeloma, involve the uncontrolled proliferation of abnormal blood cells, posing significant clinical challenges due to their heterogeneity and varied treatment responses. Despite recent advancements in therapies that have improved survival rates, particularly in chronic lymphocytic [...] Read more.
Hematologic malignancies (HMs), including leukemia, lymphoma, and multiple myeloma, involve the uncontrolled proliferation of abnormal blood cells, posing significant clinical challenges due to their heterogeneity and varied treatment responses. Despite recent advancements in therapies that have improved survival rates, particularly in chronic lymphocytic leukemia and acute lymphoblastic leukemia, treatments like chemotherapy and stem cell transplantation often disrupt gut microbiota, which can negatively impact treatment outcomes and increase infection risks. This review explores the complex, bidirectional interactions between gut microbiota and cancer treatments in patients with HMs. Gut microbiota can influence drug metabolism through mechanisms such as the production of enzymes like bacterial β-glucuronidases, which can alter drug efficacy and toxicity. Moreover, microbial metabolites like short-chain fatty acids can modulate the host immune response, enhancing treatment effectiveness. However, therapy often reduces the diversity of beneficial bacteria, such as Bifidobacterium and Faecalibacterium, while increasing pathogenic bacteria like Enterococcus and Escherichia coli. These findings highlight the critical need to preserve microbiota diversity during treatment. Future research should focus on personalized microbiome-based therapies, including probiotics, prebiotics, and fecal microbiota transplantation, to improve outcomes and quality of life for patients with hematologic malignancies. Full article
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