Novel Strategies Against Pathogenic Infections: From Detection and Prevention to Advanced Therapeutics

The field of cellular and infection microbiology is being transformed by the integration of traditional medical approaches, advanced antimicrobial materials, and microbiome technologies in the quest for novel solutions against infectious diseases. As challenges such as antimicrobial resistance, persistent and chronic infections, and the intricate nature of host-microbe interactions escalate, the need for innovative and effective approaches has never been greater. Recent evidence demonstrates that combining Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and Western therapies can produce synergistic anti-infective effects through immune modulation and direct pathogen inhibition. In addition, novel biomaterials, including nanomaterials and porous frameworks, show promise in enhancing antimicrobial efficacy and biosafety. State-of-the-art diagnostic platforms, such as biosensors and microfluidics, now enable earlier and more precise detection, while microbiome and microbial community analyses are revealing new insights into infection susceptibility and treatment responses. Despite these strides, the mechanistic basis and translational integration of these innovations are not yet fully understood.This Research Topic aims to highlight breakthrough research at the intersection of integrative therapeutics, advanced biomaterials, rapid diagnostics, and microbiome analytics for infectious disease management. The focus is on mechanistic studies, translational innovations, and clinically relevant research addressing infections such as bone and joint infections, diabetic foot, chronic wounds, post-surgical, respiratory, urinary, and skin and soft tissue infections. The primary objectives include elucidating cellular and molecular interactions in combined therapy, evaluating synergistic effects between TCM, biomaterials, and conventional drugs, leveraging microbiome profiles for diagnosis and therapy optimization, and facilitating the clinical translation of these integrated approaches.This Research Topic centers on cellular, molecular, and translational investigations of integrated strategies for infectious disease prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. Studies emphasizing innovative mechanisms or the translational interface between medicinal, material, and microbiome sciences are especially welcome. To gather further insights within this focused scope, we invite contributions addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:o Mechanistic analyses of integrative TCM and Western therapies in infectious disease modelso Development and application of novel antimicrobial biomaterialso Innovations in rapid detection and sensitive diagnostics for pathogens, with emphasis on integration into precision treatmento Microbiome analytics and host-microbe-pathogen interaction studies relevant to infection risk and therapeutic responseo Translational or clinical research on combined therapeutic and diagnostic strategies in complex or refractory infectionsWe welcome original research articles, reviews, short communications, etc. that address novel mechanisms, innovative technologies, and translational advances within cellular and infection microbiology. Topic editors: Xu-Jia Hong, Linfeng Chen, Ye Zhang Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/80236/novel-strategies-against-pathogenic-infections-from-detection-and-prevention-to-advanced-therapeutics