Antibiotics as Major Disruptors of Gut Microbiota

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

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