Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) and Microbiome: Etiopathogenesis, Diagnosis, and Therapeutic Advances

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue, “Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) and Microbiome: Etiopathogenesis, Diagnosis, and Therapeutic Advances”, addresses the growing interest in understanding the microbiome's role in the onset, progression, and management of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

Emerging studies have shown that the gut microbiome plays a vital role in shaping immune responses, maintaining mucosal integrity, and modulating inflammation in IBD patients. Disruptions to this delicate microbial balance—commonly known as dysbiosis—are increasingly recognized as contributors to the development and exacerbation of IBD, including Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. A deeper understanding of these microbiome-driven mechanisms has the potential to transform our diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for these chronic, often debilitating conditions.

This Special Issue invites submissions of original research, review articles, and clinical studies that examine the relationship between the microbiome and IBD. We welcome studies that explore how microbiome shifts impact immune pathways, intestinal barrier function, and systemic inflammation, as well as research into novel microbiome-targeted therapies. We encourage submissions on a range of topics, including the following:

• Microbiome–Immune Interactions: Insights into how microbiome alterations influence immune modulation and inflammatory responses in IBD.
• Therapeutic Potential of Microbiome Modulation: Studies on probiotics, prebiotics, fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT), and next-generation microbial therapies.
• Gut–Brain and Gut–Liver Axes: Exploration of the systemic impact of gut dysbiosis in IBD, including the effects on mental health, liver function, and overall disease progression.
• Diagnostic and Prognostic Biomarkers: Identification of microbial markers for early diagnosis, monitoring, and predicting therapeutic response in IBD patients.
• Host–Microbiome Interactions and Epigenetics: Research on genetic and epigenetic factors that contribute to individual responses to microbiome changes in IBD.

By gathering cutting-edge research in this Special Issue, we aim to deepen understanding of the microbiome’s role in IBD and foster new avenues for personalized, microbiome-centered therapies.

Dr. Michael Doulberis
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.

• inflammatory bowel disease
• microbiome-immune interactions
• microbiome modulation
• gut–brain axes
• gut–liver axes