Advances in Gut Microbiota–Host Interactions: Microbial Mechanisms, Modulators, and Translational Perspectives

Dear Colleagues,

The gut microbiota plays a pivotal role in shaping host physiology, immune function, metabolism, and neurodevelopment. Increasing evidence highlights how alterations in microbiota composition and function contribute to a wide spectrum of acute and chronic diseases, while also influencing responses to pharmacological and nutritional interventions. Despite rapid advances in microbiome research, significant gaps remain in translating mechanistic insights into biologically grounded and personalized strategies.

This Special Issue aims to provide an updated and integrative overview of gut microbiota–host interactions, with particular emphasis on microbial mechanisms, functional traits, and translational perspectives. We welcome original research articles, reviews, and conceptual papers exploring host–microbe interactions at molecular, cellular, metabolic, immunological, and neurobiological levels, with a specific focus on microbial functions and strain-specific activities.

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following: microbial resilience and resistance to external perturbations (e.g., antibiotics, diet, environmental stressors); intrinsic and functional microbial traits; host genetic and epigenetic factors influencing microbiota composition; microbiota-derived metabolites and signaling pathways; and rational strategies for microbiota modulation. Particular attention will be given to mechanistically grounded frameworks that move beyond descriptive associations, offering biologically informed models capable of guiding experimental, clinical, and translational research.

By integrating basic science with clinical and systems-level approaches, this Special Issue aims to foster a more coherent and mechanistically driven understanding of gut microbiota–host interactions and their relevance for personalized and precision medicine.

Dr. Maria Rosaria Matera
Dr. Lorenzo Drago
Guest Editors

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 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

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-anonymized 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.