Therapeutic Potential of the Microbiome—2nd Edition

A special issue of Medical Sciences (ISSN 2076-3271).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 April 2024) | Viewed by 1076

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Dear Colleagues,

In recent years, the gut microbiota has been extensively studied and has emerged as a promising therapy of gastrointestinal and extra-gastrointestinal diseases.

The human gut microbiota constitutes a very complex ecosystem containing approximately 1014 microorganisms belonging to more than 1000 species. It consists mostly of bacteria, but fungi, viruses, and protozoa can also frequently be detected in the gut. The gut microbiota has important functions for human health. The pathologic alteration of its composition, termed dysbiosis, has been linked to multiple gastrointestinal (Clostridium difficile colitis, inflammatory bowel disease, irritable bowel syndrome, etc.) and non-gastrointestinal diseases (obesity, metabolic syndrome, neuropsychiatric diseases, etc.).

Modulation of the gut microbiota with fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) is highly effective for treating Clostridium difficile infection (FDI). Recent studies also suggest that the intestinal microbiome is involved in the pathogenesis of several chronic diseases, such as obesity; type 2 diabetes; cardiovascular, cancer or inflammatory bowel disease; and irritable bowel syndrome. In fact, the manipulation of fecal microbiota to treat inflammatory bowel disease and irritable bowel syndrome is being studied. There is also evidence that targeting gut microbiota through dietary interventions could be a potential therapeutic approach.

On these grounds, in this Special Issue of Medical Sciences we welcome research articles, reviews, and communications to present the most recent advances in the study of the therapeutic potential of the microbiome.

Prof. Dr. Peter C. Konturek
Guest Editor

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

14 pages, 357 KiB  
Article
Beneficial Bacteria in the Gut Microbiota May Lead to Improved Metabolic and Immunological Status in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
by Fabine Correia Passos, Lucas Matheus Gonçalves de Oliveira, Fabíola Ramos Jesus, Dalila Lucíola Zanette, Odilon Lobão Leal Neto, Margarida Célia Lima Costa Neves, Antônio Carlos Moreira Lemos and Gyselle Chrystina Baccan
Med. Sci. 2024, 12(3), 41; https://doi.org/10.3390/medsci12030041 - 16 Aug 2024
Viewed by 514
Abstract
The progression of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is characterized by functional changes in the airways. The lung–gut axis and gut microbiota (GM) have been linked to the pathophysiology of airway diseases. Regarding COPD, studies have shown that GM alterations could be related [...] Read more.
The progression of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is characterized by functional changes in the airways. The lung–gut axis and gut microbiota (GM) have been linked to the pathophysiology of airway diseases. Regarding COPD, studies have shown that GM alterations could be related the stages of this disease. However, the relationship between GM and clinical, biochemical and immunological parameters in patients with COPD are not well understood. The aim of this study was to compare the relative abundance of specific groups of beneficial gut bacteria between COPD patients and healthy controls (CTLs) in order to evaluate relationships with metabolic and inflammatory markers in COPD. Methods: We included 16 stable COPD patients and 16 healthy volunteer CTLs. The relative abundances of Bifidobacterium spp. (Bf) and Akkermansia muciniphila (Akk) bacteria and the Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes phyla were assessed by qPCR. Pulmonary function was evaluated by spirometry, biochemical parameters by colorimetric methods and plasma cytokine levels by cytometric bead array analysis. Results: The Firmicutes/Bacteroides ratio was related to emergency hospital visits and six-minute walk test (6MWT) results. Furthermore, the relative abundance of Bf was associated with plasma concentrations of glucose, triglycerides, HDL-C and IL-10. In addition, Firmicutes levels and the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio were associated with the IL-12/IL-10 ratio, while Akk abundance was linked to IL-12 levels. Conclusions: The present findings suggest that the abundance of beneficial bacteria in the GM could influence clinical presentation and immunoregulation in COPD. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Therapeutic Potential of the Microbiome—2nd Edition)
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