Clostridioides difficile Infection: Pathogenesis, Antibiotic Resistance, and Therapeutic Advances
A special issue of Antibiotics (ISSN 2079-6382). This special issue belongs to the section "Mechanism and Evolution of Antibiotic Resistance".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 January 2026 | Viewed by 32
Special Issue Editor
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Clostridioides difficile remains a leading cause of nosocomial diarrhea, as well as severe complications such as pseudomembranous colitis and life-threatening toxic megacolon. Epidemiological surveillance conducted by the CDC in the United States from 2014 to 2021 revealed a steady rise in the incidence of community-associated C. difficile infection (CDI), underscoring it as a growing public health concern. Currently, the treatment options for CDI are limited. First-line drugs primarily include antibiotics such as vancomycin and fidaxomicin, which are effective in treating initial episodes. However, the recurrence rates remain high among patients treated with antibiotics. Although fecal microbiota-based therapies have emerged for recurrent CDI (rCDI), their accessibility and regulatory acceptance are still evolving. The recent discontinuation of the monoclonal antibody bezlotoxumab (Zinplava), approved by the FDA in 2016 for rCDI, further narrows therapeutic options.
Given these challenges, novel therapies and a deeper understanding of C. difficle pathogenesis and resistance mechanisms are urgently needed. For this Special Issue, we invite original research and comprehensive review articles in (but not limited to) the following areas:
- The development of novel antimicrobial agents targeting C. difficile;
- Advances in therapeutic strategies for CDI;
- Molecular mechanisms of antibiotic resistance in C. difficile;
- Pathogenesis and host–pathogen interactions in CDI;
- Antibiotic stewardship approaches to preventing CDI and transmission.
Dr. Yongrong Zhang
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
- Clostridioides difficile
- infection
- recurrence
- antibiotic resistance
- therapeutics
- pathogenesis
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.
