Gut microbiome: pathogen interactions with therapeutic translation

The gut is a dynamic ecosystem where commensal microbes, invading pathogens, and the host immune system continually negotiate outcomes ranging from colonization resistance to overt disease. This Research Topic focuses on mechanistic discoveries that clarify how these interactions unfold—and on translating those insights into interventions that prevent or treat infection. We invite original research, methods papers, reviews, and perspectives that bridge fundamental biology and therapeutic development.We particularly welcome studies that:Define causal pathways by which commensals and their metabolites shape pathogen behavior, virulence, niche competition, and biofilm dynamics.Uncover host immune circuits (innate and adaptive) governing barrier integrity, inflammation, tolerance, and pathogen clearance, including cytokine networks, GPCR signaling, PRR pathways, and neuroimmune axes.Dissect pathogen strategies to subvert the microbiome and mucosal defenses (toxins, effectors, quorum sensing, metabolic theft), and how these can be countered.Integrate host genetics, diet, and environmental exposures with microbiome structure and function to explain heterogeneity in infection risk and treatment response.Therapeutic translation themes include:Live biotherapeutics (engineered or naturally occurring), probiotics, synbiotics, and postbiotics; design rules; safety/AMR considerations; and GMP-readiness.Metabolite- and receptor-targeted interventions (e.g., SCFAs, bile acids, tryptophan derivatives; GPRs, nuclear receptors) that modulate host–pathogen outcomes.Precision antimicrobials and anti-virulence strategies, bacteriophages and endolysins, and microbiome-sparing treatment regimens.Biomarker discovery and validation for prediction of colonization, progression, or therapeutic response; companion diagnostics for microbiome-guided therapies.We encourage submissions using advanced models and technologies:Human intestinal organoids, organ-on-chip, immune co-cultures, and spatially resolved ex vivo systems.Gnotobiotic and antibiotic-perturbed mice, defined consortia, isogenic pathogen mutants, and longitudinal human cohorts.Multi-omics and computational frameworks (metagenomics, metatranscriptomics, metabolomics, proteomics, single-cell and spatial profiling) with robust causal inference.Manuscripts should clearly link mechanism to intervention or actionable biomarkers whenever possible. Regulatory, ethical, and IND-enabling perspectives, as well as data/method standards that enhance reproducibility and clinical translatability, are also in scope. Our goal is to catalyze a cohesive body of work that advances both understanding and real-world solutions for microbiome-informed control of enteric infections. Topic editors: Tiange Liu, Mrinal Samtiya Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/78486/gut-microbiome-pathogen-interactions-with-therapeutic-translation