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Bugs and Drugs—the Gut Microbiome as Hidden Metabolic Organ and Its Role in Personalized Pharmacotherapeutics

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A special issue of Journal of Clinical Medicine (ISSN 2077-0383). This special issue belongs to the section "Gastroenterology & Hepatopancreatobiliary Medicine".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2021) | Viewed by 17906

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Anastasios Koulaouzidis

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Guest Editor

1. Department of Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark (SDU), Odense, Denmark
2. Centre for Clinical Implementation of Capsule Endoscopy (CICA), Store Adenomer Tidlige Cancere Centre (SATC-C), Svendborg, Denmark
Interests: capsule endoscopy; gastroenterology; collagenous colitis; microscopic colitis
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Wojciech Marlicz

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Guest Editor

1. Department of Social Medicine & Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin, Poland
2. The Centre for Digestive Diseases, Endoklinika, Szczecin, Poland
Interests: capsule endoscopy; liver diseases; internal medicine; irritable bowel syndrome; gastrointestinal diseases
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Karolina Skonieczna-Żydecka

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Guest Editor

Department of Biochemical Sciences, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, 24 Broniewskiego Street, 71-460 Szczecin, Poland
Interests: microbiota; gut–brain axis
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Pharmacomicrobiomics is a new, dynamically developing field of medicine. The microbiome enzyme apparatus contributing to the intestinal ecosystem is—at least—partially responsible for the metabolism of xenobiotics, including drugs and dietary supplements. This activity may lead to several enzymatic reactions potentially responsible for a given therapeutic effect or lack of drug efficacy. The metabolites of the intestinal microbiota may compete with drugs for enzymes or receptors involved in therapeutic pathways of common medicines.

Recently, consumption of commonly used drugs designed to target human cells and prescribed by psychiatrists, gastroenterologists, diabetologists, and other medical professionals has been shown to possess a high potential to alter the composition and function of intestinal microbes. Additionally, gut microbiota shape the response of anticancer therapies and serve as a target to enhance their efficacy and minimize drug toxicity. As gut microbes also shape the structure and function of the gut barrier, it is plausible that even minor and subclinical drug–microbe-mediated injury to intestinal mucosa can result in significant, tough delayed, metabolic consequences, which may seriously affect the health of an individual. Therapies aimed at microbiota modulation—e.g., probiotics, prebiotics, fecal microbiota transplantation or non-absorbable antibiotics (rifaximin)—serve as effective tools to support the gut microbiome and optimize the use of various pharmaceuticals. Further, expanding the basic and clinical knowledge on drug–microbiome interaction to predict either beneficial or harmful outcomes is important and of interest to most contemporary healthcare professionals.

With this Special Issue in the Journal of Clinical Medicine, entitled “Bugs and Drugs - The Gut Microbiome as a Hidden Metabolic Organ and Its Role in Personalized Pharmacotherapeutics”, we focus on studies exploring the amazing interactions between gut microbes and the variety of medicine and dietary supplements commonly used in everyday clinical practice. We invite authors to share the results of their research. We welcome original and review papers on topics related to pharmacotherapy or any other therapeutic modalities with the potential to influence and interact with gut microbiota. Last but not least, therapies aimed at improving the metabolic status of an individual through microbiota modulation are welcome.

Dr. Anastasios Koulaouzidis
Dr. Wojciech Marlicz
Dr. Karolina Skonieczna-Żydecka
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Journal of Clinical Medicine is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

Microbiome
Small bowel
Pharmacomicrobiomics
Xenobiotics
Metabolome
Probiotics
Psychobiome
Gut–brain axis
Metabolism
Obesity
Cancer
Checkpoint inhibitors
Inflammasomes
Exposome
Fecal microbiota transplantation
Duodenal mucosal resurfacing

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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20 pages, 4452 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Influence of Probiotic Supplementation on Depressive Symptoms, Inflammation, and Oxidative Stress Parameters and Fecal Microbiota in Patients with Depression Depending on Metabolic Syndrome Comorbidity—PRO-DEMET Randomized Study Protocol

by Oliwia Gawlik-Kotelnicka, Anna Skowrońska, Aleksandra Margulska, Karolina H. Czarnecka-Chrebelska, Igor Łoniewski, Karolina Skonieczna-Żydecka and Dominik Strzelecki

J. Clin. Med. 2021, 10(7), 1342; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm10071342 - 24 Mar 2021

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 4339

Abstract

There is a huge need to search for new treatment options and potential biomarkers of therapeutic response to antidepressant treatment. Depression and metabolic syndrome often coexist, while a pathophysiological overlap, including microbiota changes, may play a role. The paper presents a study protocol that aims to assess the effect of probiotic supplementation on symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress, metabolic parameters, inflammatory and oxidative stress markers, as well as fecal microbiota in adult patients with depressive disorders depending on the co-occurrence of metabolic syndrome. The trial will be a four-arm, parallel-group, prospective, randomized, double-blind, controlled design that will include 200 participants and will last 20 weeks (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT04756544). The probiotic preparation will contain Lactobacillus helveticus Rosell^®-52, Bifidobacterium longum Rosell^®-175. We will assess the level of depression, anxiety and stress, quality of life, blood pressure, body mass index and waist circumference, white blood cells count, serum levels of C-reactive protein, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, triglycerides, fasting glucose, fecal microbiota composition and the level of some fecal microbiota metabolites, as well as serum inflammatory markers and oxidative stress parameters. The proposed trial may establish a safe and easy-to-use adjunctive treatment option in a subpopulation of depressive patients only partially responsive to pharmacologic therapy. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bugs and Drugs—the Gut Microbiome as Hidden Metabolic Organ and Its Role in Personalized Pharmacotherapeutics)

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Review

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16 pages, 910 KiB

Open AccessReview

Microbiome Metabolites and Thyroid Dysfunction

by Piotr Bargiel, Małgorzata Szczuko, Laura Stachowska, Piotr Prowans, Norbert Czapla, Marta Markowska, Jan Petriczko, Jakub Kledzik, Alicja Jędrzejczyk-Kledzik, Joanna Palma, Paulina Zabielska and Dominika Maciejewska-Markiewicz

J. Clin. Med. 2021, 10(16), 3609; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm10163609 - 16 Aug 2021

Cited by 29 | Viewed by 9440

Abstract

Thyroid diseases are common conditions that have a negative impact on the health of all populations. The literature sheds light on the differences in the composition of the intestinal microbiota in patients suffering from thyroid diseases compared to healthy individuals. The microbiome affects the proper functioning of the thyroid gland, and the existence of the gut–thyroid axis is discussed in the context of both thyroid diseases and intestinal dysbiosis. The purpose of this review is to describe associations between the microbiome and its metabolites and thyroid dysfunction. We try to explain the role of the microbiome in the metabolism of thyroid hormones and the impact of thyroid autoimmune diseases. In addition, we raise issues related to the influence of bacterial metabolites, such as short-chain fatty acids or secondary bile acids, in the functioning of the thyroid gland. Last but not least, we explored the interactions between the gut microbiota and therapeutics and supplements typically administered to patients with thyroid diseases. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bugs and Drugs—the Gut Microbiome as Hidden Metabolic Organ and Its Role in Personalized Pharmacotherapeutics)

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11 pages, 863 KiB

Open AccessReview

Advances in Intestinal Barrier Preservation and Restoration in the Allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation Setting

by Martyna Tyszka, Jarosław Biliński and Grzegorz Władysław Basak

J. Clin. Med. 2021, 10(11), 2508; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm10112508 - 06 Jun 2021

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3081

Abstract

The intestinal barrier consists of an epithelial lining covered with specialized mucus inhabited by intestinal microbiota. An intact gut barrier ensures a resistance to bacteria and toxins translocation. On the other hand, gut permeability allows the absorption of essential nutrients, fluids and ions. This balance is achieved only by the complex structure and functional characteristics of the intestinal barrier. Allogenic hematopoietic cell transplantation remains the only curative treatment for many hematological diseases, but its application is limited because of possible transplant-related mortality mainly due to graft-versus-host disease and infectious complications. The intestinal barrier has been extensively studied in recent years as the primary site of graft-versus-host disease initiation and propagation. In the present review, we focused on the physiological structure and function of the gut barrier and the evidence of how the disruption of the gut barrier and increased intestinal permeability affects transplant recipients. Finally, therapeutic strategies aiming at intestinal barrier protection with a special focus on microbiome preservation and restoration in the allogenic hematopoietic cell transplantation setting are discussed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bugs and Drugs—the Gut Microbiome as Hidden Metabolic Organ and Its Role in Personalized Pharmacotherapeutics)

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