Prebiotics and Probiotics in Health and Disease: Precision Delivery and Microbiota-Informed Therapeutics
A special issue of Biomolecules (ISSN 2218-273X). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Biology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 October 2026 | Viewed by 141
Special Issue Editors
Interests: drug delivery systems; solid lipid nanoparticles; drug carriers; antibiotics; antimicrobial activity; antiviral activity; prebiotics; probiotics; postbiotics; gut microbiota; gut-brain axis
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: antibacterial activity; antimycoplasma activity; antiviral activity; natural extract; essential oils; coronavirus; probiotics; drug delivery development
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Building on the success of the first two editions of this Special Issue, the third edition aims to further advance the field of microbiota-based interventions by focusing on the emerging convergence between prebiotics, probiotics, postbiotics, and innovative drug delivery systems. While earlier editions explored microbiota homeostasis, dysbiosis, and future perspectives in microbial therapies, the growing body of evidence now indicates that the therapeutic potential of biotics is strongly influenced not only by their biological properties, but also by how, where, and when they are delivered.
Recent advances in pharmaceutical technology, nanomedicine, and biomaterials have opened up new opportunities to overcome key limitations in microbiota-targeted strategies, including instability during gastrointestinal transit, limited bioavailability, off-target effects, and poor site specificity. In this context, drug delivery systems, such as lipid-based nanoparticles, polymeric carriers, micro- and nanoencapsulation platforms, and smart, stimuli-responsive systems, are increasingly being explored to enhance the efficacy, safety, and precision of probiotic, prebiotic, and postbiotic formulations.
This Special Issue mainly seeks original research contributions, while also welcoming reviews and translational studies such as complementary perspectives on innovative delivery strategies for microbiota-modulating agents, with a particular emphasis on postbiotics, engineered microbial products, and microbiota-informed therapeutics.
Contributions spanning molecular mechanisms, formulation science, in vitro and in vivo models, and clinical perspectives are welcome. Through this edition, we aim to provide a multidisciplinary platform that fosters the development of next-generation microbial therapies with improved translational and clinical relevance.
Dr. Virginia Fuochi
Dr. Pio Maria Furneri
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- prebiotics
- probiotics
- postbiotics
- drug delivery systems
- nanocarriers
- microbiota-targeted therapies
- gut microbiota
- precision biotics
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