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Microorganisms
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Microbiome and Genitourinary Diseases
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Microbiome and Genitourinary Diseases

A special issue of Microorganisms (ISSN 2076-2607). This special issue belongs to the section "Microbiomes".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 June 2025 | Viewed by 4404

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Tariq A. Bhat

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Affiliate Member, Department of Urology, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY 14203, USA
Interests: immune dysfunction in infections and cancer; prostate cancer; bladder cancer; microbial dysbiosis in cancer; tumor Immunology; immunometabolism and antitumor immunity

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The ‘microbiome’ comprises the complex and diverse microbial ecosystems that colonize different organs and tissues. The human microbiome consists of bacteria, archaea, viruses, and eukaryotes (e.g., fungi and protozoa) that significantly influence human physiology, homeostasis, and overall health. The human microbiome is a complex and dynamic microbial system that responds to multiple endogenous and exogenous factors, and our current understanding of its dynamics and impact on diseases like infection and cancers and response to therapies remains incomplete. The relationship between microorganisms and human diseases is well established, for example, for Helicobacter pylori and gastric cancer, human papilloma virus and cervical/penile cancers, Epstein–Barr Virus with Burkitt lymphoma, Escherichia coli and colorectal cancer, and Escherichia coli and recurrent urinary tract infections. Dynamic alterations in human microbiome, both in quantity and quality, are shown to alter homeostasis and impact the disease development of conditions such as urinary infections and cancers. Microbes have been shown to impact overall metabolism, influence local and systemic inflammation, and impact host antitumor immunity. Furthermore, recent findings have confirmed the importance of both the gut and urinary microbiomes in urinary tract infections and genitourinary cancers. The human microbiome has also been demonstrated to impact the responses to and efficacy of cancer therapies including immunotherapies such as immune checkpoint blockade inhibitors.

MDPI’s Microorganisms announces the launch of the Special Issue on the “Microbiome and Genitourinary Diseases”. We invite submissions of manuscripts and research articles (original and review articles) addressing the complex role of the human microbiome in genitourinary diseases like infections and cancers. The goal of this Special Issue is to enhance our current understanding and advancements in the field of microbiome research and discuss its intimate association with genitourinary diseases including infections and cancers of bladder, prostate, and kidney. A better understanding of the association between the microbiome and genitourinary diseases may produce reliable predictors of disease, prognostic indicators, and potential therapeutic targets.

This Special Issue will focus on the impact of a healthy and altered human microbiome on genitourinary disease development and its treatment. We welcome all studies that help demonstrate the relationship between the human microbiome and genitourinary diseases and their treatment.

Dr. Tariq A. Bhat
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. Microorganisms 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 2700 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

  • microbiome
  • genitourinary cancers
  • bladder, prostate cancer, and kidney cancer
  • antitumor immunity
  • immunotherapy
  • urinary microbial dysbiosis
  • microbiome and cancer development

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (3 papers)

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12 pages, 757 KiB  
Article
Evaluation and Analysis of Costs Associated with Prophylaxis of Recurrent Urinary Tract Infections (RUTIs) in Women
by José Emilio Hernández-Sánchez, Julius Jan Szczesnieski, Bárbara-Yolanda Padilla-Fernández, Carmen González-Enguita, Javier Flores-Fraile and María Fernanda Lorenzo-Gómez
Microorganisms 2025, 13(2), 393; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms13020393 - 11 Feb 2025
Viewed by 715
Abstract
To determine the variations in the costs of the prophylaxis of recurrent urinary tract infections (RUTIs) among different prevention protocols, a prospective observational multicenter study on 1614 women receiving RUTI prophylaxis was conducted. The patient groups were as follows: Group A (n = [...] Read more.
To determine the variations in the costs of the prophylaxis of recurrent urinary tract infections (RUTIs) among different prevention protocols, a prospective observational multicenter study on 1614 women receiving RUTI prophylaxis was conducted. The patient groups were as follows: Group A (n = 444): conventional suppressive antibiotic therapy; Group V (n = 732): polyvalent bacterial vaccine; and Group O (n = 438): other adjuvant measures. The variables were age, body mass index, American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) physical status classification scale, cost of prophylaxis, duration of the RUTI, number of visits for primary and specialized care, number of UTIs, cost of urinalysis, urine culture, urine cytology, and days of sick leave. The mean age was 57.71 years but was found to be lower in GV. The mean expenditure on UTI prophylaxis and treatment per patient was EUR 4908.07, but this found to be higher in GO. Emergency primary care visits were more frequent in GA. The ordinary scheduled visits to primary care visits were more frequent in GV and GO. The mean successive visits was 2.47 and was shown to be lower in GV. The mean expenditure on successive visits was EUR 341.64 but was found to be lower in GV. The mean number of UTIs was 4.83 at 3 months after finishing prophylaxis and 5.01 at 12 months, and it was observed to be lower in GV. Less frequent VCU usage, older age, more ASA III, more frequent use of urinalyses, urine cultures, ultrasounds, and CT scans were associated with higher costs. In GO, IVU was associated with higher costs. The total expenditure related to RUTIs is associated with older age and the number of RUTIs, a poorer general health status, and the use of urinary tract ultrasounds and CT scans. The use of VCUs instead of ultrasounds and CT scans is cost-effective in the management of RUTIs in older women. Immunoprophylaxis is more cost-effective in reducing the number of visits to the primary care emergency room, the number of successive visits to the Urology Department, the number of intercurrent infections, and the need for urinalyses, urine cultures, CT scans, and ultrasounds in the primary care emergency room. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microbiome and Genitourinary Diseases)
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18 pages, 6503 KiB  
Article
Akkermansia muciniphila Metabolite Inosine Inhibits Castration Resistance in Prostate Cancer
by Yao Yu, Leqian Li, Qishen Yang, Jingwen Xue, Benlin Wang, Ming Xie, Wentai Shangguan, Zhangrui Zhu and Peng Wu
Microorganisms 2024, 12(8), 1653; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms12081653 - 12 Aug 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1949
Abstract
Prostate cancer (PCa) is initially sensitive to androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) but ultimately develops resistance and progresses to castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) with a poor prognosis. This study indicated that some PCa patients and mice were more sensitive to ADT and entered CRPC [...] Read more.
Prostate cancer (PCa) is initially sensitive to androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) but ultimately develops resistance and progresses to castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) with a poor prognosis. This study indicated that some PCa patients and mice were more sensitive to ADT and entered CRPC later, which was related to the gut microbiota, especially the enrichment of Akkermansia muciniphila (AKK). Untargeted metabolomics analysis found that serum inosine level was upregulated in the treatment-sensitive group and significantly correlated with AKK. Furthermore, we revealed that intestinal permeability and serum lipopolysaccharide (LPS) levels increased in treatment-resistant mice. LPS stimulated the upregulation of p-NF-κB p65 and AR in tumors. Supplementing AKK metabolite inosine could alleviate intestinal barrier damage and reduce serum LPS level, ultimately inhibiting castration resistance via the LPS/NF-κB/AR axis. Finally, we constructed a predictive model for CRPC combining gut microbiota and clinical information (AUC = 0.729). This study revealed the potential mechanism of gut microbiota on CRPC and provided potential therapeutic targets and prognostic indicators. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microbiome and Genitourinary Diseases)
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Other

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7 pages, 430 KiB  
Brief Report
Insights into Porphyromonas somerae in Bladder Cancer Patients: Urinary Detection by ddPCR
by Filippo Russo, Speranza Esposito, Lorella Tripodi, Savio Domenico Pandolfo, Achille Aveta, Felice Amato, Carmela Nardelli, Ciro Imbimbo, Lucio Pastore and Giuseppe Castaldo
Microorganisms 2024, 12(10), 2049; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms12102049 - 10 Oct 2024
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1083
Abstract
To date, the increased awareness of the impact of microbes on human health has promoted scientific interest in microbiome studies for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes, revealing correlations between specific taxa and cancer. In particular, numerous species of Porphyromonas have been associated with several [...] Read more.
To date, the increased awareness of the impact of microbes on human health has promoted scientific interest in microbiome studies for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes, revealing correlations between specific taxa and cancer. In particular, numerous species of Porphyromonas have been associated with several types of tumors. Previously, we studied the urobiome using Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS), and found an increase in Porphyromonas somerae in first morning urine of subjects affected by bladder cancer (BCa). Here, we aimed to confirm the presence of P. somerae in BCa patients by using droplet digital Polymerase Chain Reaction (ddPCR), testing a cohort of 102 male subjects over 50 years. Our findings showed a significant increase in P. somerae in the urine of the BCa group within both ddPCR and NGS, and a correlation between the two methods was observed at a statistical level. Moreover, P. somerae’s identification with ddPCR confirmed a significant association between this bacterium and the presence of BCa, highlighting its potential role as a biomarker. This allows us to propose the ddPCR as a suitable method for first-stage BCa screening and follow-up. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microbiome and Genitourinary Diseases)
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