Pioneering the Microbiome—Infections, Inflammation, Inflammatory Bowel Disease and the Role of Antibiotic Therapy
A special issue of Antibiotics (ISSN 2079-6382). This special issue belongs to the section "Antibiotic Therapy in Infectious Diseases".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 28 February 2026 | Viewed by 6
Special Issue Editors
Interests: microbiome; mycobacteria; IBD; human health
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: Crohn’s disease; paratuberculosis; pathogens; environment
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
This Special Issue in Antibiotics will explore the dynamic interplay between the human microbiome, infectious agents, mucosal inflammation, and the therapeutic use of antibiotics in gastrointestinal disease, particularly in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Emerging evidence supports the concept that specific pathobionts—including adherent-invasive E. coli (AIEC), Clostridioides difficile, and Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP)—are involved in chronic intestinal inflammation. Antibiotic therapies, inappropriately implemented as crude tools of microbial disruption, are now being repurposed in precision strategies to reduce microbial burden, modulate dysbiosis, and improve host–microbe interactions.
This Special Issue welcomes original research, reviews, and clinical case studies investigating the following topics:
- Antibiotic-responsive microbial subtypes in Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis;
- Mechanisms of biofilm disruption and inflammation resolution;
- Detection of elusive pathogens and how to eradicate infections and restore normobiosis;
- Targeting intracellular bacteria by various strategies;
- Antibiotics and microbial metabolites influencing immune regulation.
By bridging infectious disease paradigms with modern microbiome science, this Special Issue aims to redefine how we diagnose, treat, and conceptualize IBD and related disorders. Contributions from microbiology, gastroenterology, immunology, infectious diseases and translational research are strongly encouraged.
Dr. Gaurav Agrawal
Prof. Dr. Roger Pickup
Guest Editors
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
- Crohn’s
- mycobacteria
- gut pathogens
- microbiome
- antibiotics
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.
- Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.
Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.