Microbiome–Gut–Liver Axis, Liver Diseases and Immunity

Dear Colleagues,

The microbiome–gut–liver axis represents a bidirectional relationship in which the intestinal barrier, microbiota, and liver interact to regulate immune responses and maintain homeostasis. This axis plays a key role in liver health, and its disruption has been shown to significantly impact the development and progression of liver diseases.

In a healthy state, the intestinal barrier prevents the translocation of gut-derived microbial products from reaching the liver through the portal vein or spreading into the mesenteric lymphatic system. However, in liver disease, increased intestinal barrier damage, hyperpermeability, and microbial dysbiosis (an imbalance in the size and composition of the gut flora) can lead to the translocation of larger amounts of microbial products, including harmful ones. This can trigger local, hepatic, and even systemic inflammation and immune exhaustion, all of which contribute to disease pathogenesis.

Gut barrier damage and increased microbial translocation have been described in a variety of liver diseases, including all-cause cirrhosis, alcohol-related liver disease (ArLD), metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), primary biliary cholangitis (PBC), primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC), and hepatobiliary cancers.

An understanding of the various aspects of this gut microbial and immunological interface could lead to new therapeutic avenues for improving immune regulation and disease outcomes in liver pathology.

In this Special Issue, we aim to collect original research papers, mini-reviews, or shorter perspective articles detailing evidence at the cellular, molecular, and/or immunological level on all aspects of the theme: “Microbiome–Gut–Liver Axis, Liver Diseases and Immunity”.

Dr. Antonio Riva
Guest Editor

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