Bacterial Pathogenesis and Host Immune Responses

A special issue of Microorganisms (ISSN 2076-2607). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Microbiology and Immunology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 May 2026 | Viewed by 2056

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
Interests: pathogenic mechanism of pathogenic microorganism infection and host immunity

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Pathogenic bacteria are major causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. The significance of research into their pathogenesis and the host immune responses cannot be emphasized enough. In this Special Issue, we invite papers that focus on identifying and analyzing the factors that enable bacteria to cause diseases in their hosts, examining the molecular and cellular interactions between pathogenic bacteria and their hosts, exploring how bacteria develop resistance to antibiotics and identifying strategies to combat this escalating global challenge, designing and developing vaccines that can stimulate protective immune responses against pathogenic bacteria, understanding how pathogenic bacteria spread and trigger outbreaks, and identifying risk factors and prevention strategies. These studies will contribute significantly to our understanding of the disease mechanisms, the development of therapeutic strategies, the prevention and control of infectious diseases, the advancement of scientific knowledge, and, finally, the improvement in public health outcomes.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Prof. Dr. Zhihui Cheng
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • host–pathogen interactions
  • pathogenic bacteria
  • pathogenesis
  • bacterial infections
  • disease mechanisms
  • host immune responses
  • inflammatory responses 
  • vaccine development
  • antimicrobial resistance
  • therapeutic strategies

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 5020 KiB  
Article
In Vitro Immune Response of Mononuclear Cells to Multidrug-Resistant Escherichia coli
by Berta Cuyàs, Elisabet Cantó, Elisabet Sanchez-Ardid, Elisenda Miró, Edilmar Alvarado-Tapias, Eva Román, Maria Poca, Ferran Navarro, Andreu Ferrero-Gregori, Maria Àngels Escorsell, Silvia Vidal and German Soriano
Microorganisms 2025, 13(5), 1164; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms13051164 - 20 May 2025
Abstract
Infections caused by multidrug-resistant organisms (MDRO) are linked to poor outcomes, particularly in patients with cirrhosis. The underlying mechanisms are not fully understood and may involve a different immune response against MDRO. This study aimed to compare the in vitro immune response between [...] Read more.
Infections caused by multidrug-resistant organisms (MDRO) are linked to poor outcomes, particularly in patients with cirrhosis. The underlying mechanisms are not fully understood and may involve a different immune response against MDRO. This study aimed to compare the in vitro immune response between multidrug-resistant (MDR) Escherichia coli and antibiotic-susceptible E. coli strains. Surface protein extract and DNA extract were obtained from MDR E. coli (n = 6) and antibiotic-susceptible E. coli (n = 6) strains isolated from infected patients with cirrhosis. The extracts were used to stimulate in vitro peripheral blood mononuclear cells from healthy donors. After 48 h, cytokine levels (IFN-γ, IL-1β, IL-10, IL-12p70, MCP-1, IL-8, IL-6, MIP-1α, and MIP-1β) were measured. We observed no significant differences in cytokine production between MDR and susceptible strains. However, we identified notable interindividual variability in cytokine production for most of the cytokines studied. Only IFN-γ and IL-6 in surface extract and MCP-1 in DNA extract showed similar levels across all donors. We conclude that the cytokine profiles induced by MDR E. coli in vitro were similar to those in susceptible strains. These findings suggest that the poor prognosis associated with MDR E. coli infections is not due to a differential immune response but rather to other factors. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bacterial Pathogenesis and Host Immune Responses)
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14 pages, 5395 KiB  
Article
Impact of Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv Infection on Extracellular Vesicle Cargo in Macrophages: Implications for Host–Pathogen Interaction
by Manuel G. Salgado-Cantú, Luis Horacio Gutiérrez-González, Silvia Guzmán-Beltrán, María Teresa Herrera, Carmen Sarabia and Yolanda González
Microorganisms 2024, 12(12), 2405; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms12122405 - 23 Nov 2024
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Abstract
Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the most common respiratory infections worldwide, and it is caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). Mtb employs immune evasion mechanisms that allow the disease to become chronic. Despite extensive research, the host–pathogen interaction remains incompletely understood. Extracellular [...] Read more.
Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the most common respiratory infections worldwide, and it is caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). Mtb employs immune evasion mechanisms that allow the disease to become chronic. Despite extensive research, the host–pathogen interaction remains incompletely understood. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are small membrane particles that play a regulatory role in infectious diseases. Host-derived EVs have been identified as carriers of proteins, messenger RNA, and lipids from both the host cells and the pathogens. In this study, we assessed the cargo of EVs in human macrophages infected with the virulent strain H37Rv of Mtb at 1 and 24 h post-infection (hpi). The results showed that 1 hpi, infected macrophages secreted EVs containing Mtb proteins (15 to 37 kDa) and Ag85 kDa, as well as RNA transcripts (ESAT-6, 5KST, Ag85, IS6110, 30 kDa, 19 kDa, and MPT64). However, these decreased at 24 hpi. The infection of macrophages with Mtb was observed to result in the release of EVs containing Ag85 protein and RNA transcripts of Mtb; this process appeared to diminish after 24 hpi, suggesting the existence of an evasion mechanism. Both Ag85 and the RNA transcripts could be potential biomarkers for the diagnosis of TB patients. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bacterial Pathogenesis and Host Immune Responses)
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