Host–Microbe Interactions and Precision Health in Companion Animals

With the rise in global pet ownership and the recognition of pets as important family members, there is increasing demand for scientifically grounded approaches to optimize pet health. The companion animal microbiome, particularly in dogs, cats, and reptiles, has emerged as a central field. However, despite advances in characterizing microbial composition, mechanistic understanding of how these communities modulate health and disease lags behind, particularly in translating findings into actionable interventions. Major gaps persist in linking microbiome function to phenotype, unraveling host-microbe interaction networks, and constructing robust translational pipelines for companion animal health within the "One Health" paradigm.This Topic focuses on gut microbiome symbiosis in companion animals, with a primary emphasis on functional ingredients and their mechanistic effects on microbial function and host physiology. Key questions include: How do novel microbiome-targeting functional ingredients exert their effects in vivo? What are the causal links between microbial community changes and disease states such as metabolic syndrome and inflammatory bowel disease? And how can precision interventions be designed and evaluated for efficacy and safety in pet populations? Ultimately, this Research Topic seeks to bridge the gap between descriptive microbiome surveys and causality-driven research, elucidate disease pathways mediated by the microbiome, and accelerate the translation of findings into effective, precision-based interventions for improving pet health.To gather further insights, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:o Microbiome-mediated mechanisms in key companion animal conditions (e.g., metabolic syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease, and gut-brain/liver axes).o Mechanistic effects of functional ingredients on gut symbiosis of companion animal: dose–response relationships, temporal dynamics, ecological stability/resilience, and microbe-microbe interactionso Precision modulation of gut symbiosis of companion animal: next-generation probiotics, synbiotics, postbiotics, rational diet design, prebiotic fibers, phage therapy, bacteriocins, FMT and other microbiota transfer approacheso Application of multi-omics and integrative systems biology to dissect host-microbe interactions in companion animal.o The role of companion animals as natural disease models to inform translational and One Health research. Topic editors: Fuqing Huang, Yao He, Cui Ma, Zheng Li Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/77440/host-microbe-interactions-and-precision-health-in-companion-animals