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Advances in Human Microbiome
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Advances in Human Microbiome

A special issue of Journal of Clinical Medicine (ISSN 2077-0383).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 July 2016)

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Luis Vitetta

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Discipline of Pharmacology, Sydney Medical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
Interests: clinical epidemiology; the human microbiome; probiotics and prebiotics and mood disorders; cellular redox potential and pro-oxidant signaling systems
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

What is it to be human…is the new paradigm shift in biomedical research that highlights the beginning of the 21st century. In this respect the Human Microbiome Project began to elucidate the relationships that exist between the bacteria that live on and within humans and the human host. The microbiome especially defines the ecological communities of commensal, symbiotic and pathobiont (potentially pathogenic) microbial communities that co-exist in the human body space. Most micro-organisms have been almost totally ignored as determinants of health and consequently as a collective especially in the gastrointestinal tract were deemed to consist of a collection of toxic substances. Through the extended view of self, humans can now be regarded as a symbiotic organism that is very much composed of an ensemble of human and non-human cells (and their genetic signatures) that constitute the human body. The human microbiome has co-evolved in a mutually beneficial and influential relationship with that of a plethora of bacterial communities. Microbial interactions provide the human host with physiological, metabolic and immune capacities in exchange for nutrients. Moreover as an example and especially in the gastrointestinal tract the microbial cohort provides a beneficial profile of metabolic and immunological tolerance.

Prof. Dr. Luis Vitetta
Guest Editor

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

  • human microbiome
  • metabolic and immunological tolerance
  • dysbiosis
  • host-microbe co-evolutionary signals

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Review

1064 KiB  
Review
Modulating the Gut Micro-Environment in the Treatment of Intestinal Parasites
by Luis Vitetta, Emma Tali Saltzman, Tessa Nikov, Isabelle Ibrahim and Sean Hall
J. Clin. Med. 2016, 5(11), 102; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm5110102 - 16 Nov 2016
Cited by 21 | Viewed by 9794
Abstract
The interactions of micro-organisms cohabitating with Homo sapiens spans millennia, with microbial communities living in a symbiotic relationship with the host. Interacting to regulate and maintain physiological functions and immunological tolerance, the microbial community is able to exert an influence on host health. [...] Read more.
The interactions of micro-organisms cohabitating with Homo sapiens spans millennia, with microbial communities living in a symbiotic relationship with the host. Interacting to regulate and maintain physiological functions and immunological tolerance, the microbial community is able to exert an influence on host health. An example of micro-organisms contributing to an intestinal disease state is exhibited by a biodiverse range of protozoan and bacterial species that damage the intestinal epithelia and are therefore implicated in the symptoms of diarrhea. As a contentious exemplar, Blastocystis hominis is a ubiquitous enteric protist that can adversely affect the intestines. The symptoms experienced are a consequence of the responses of the innate immune system triggered by the disruption of the intestinal barrier. The infiltration of the intestinal epithelial barrier involves a host of immune receptors, including toll like receptors and IgM/IgG/IgA antibodies as well as CD8+ T cells, macrophages, and neutrophils. Whilst the mechanisms of interactions between the intestinal microbiome and protozoan parasites remain incompletely understood, it is acknowledged that the intestinal microbiota is a key factor in the pathophysiology of parasitic infections. Modulating the intestinal environment through the administration of probiotics has been postulated as a possible therapeutic agent to control the proliferation of intestinal microbes through their capacity to induce competition for occupation of a common biotype. The ultimate goal of this mechanism is to prevent infections of the like of giardiasis and eliminate its symptoms. The differing types of probiotics (i.e., bacteria and yeast) modulate immunity by stimulating the host immune system. Early animal studies support the potential benefits of probiotic administration to prevent intestinal infections, with human clinical studies showing probiotics can reduce the number of parasites and the severity of symptoms. The early clinical indications endorse probiotics as adjuncts in the pharmaceutical treatment of protozoan infections. Currently, the bar is set low for the conduct of well-designed clinical studies that will translate the use of probiotics to ameliorate protozoan infections, therefore the requisite is for further clinical research. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Human Microbiome)
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680 KiB  
Review
Advances in the Microbiome: Applications to Clostridium difficile Infection
by Eamonn P. Culligan and Roy D. Sleator
J. Clin. Med. 2016, 5(9), 83; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm5090083 - 21 Sep 2016
Cited by 23 | Viewed by 13003
Abstract
Clostridium difficile is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, causing over 400,000 infections and approximately 29,000 deaths in the United States alone each year. C. difficile is the most common cause of nosocomial diarrhoea in the developed world, and, in recent [...] Read more.
Clostridium difficile is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, causing over 400,000 infections and approximately 29,000 deaths in the United States alone each year. C. difficile is the most common cause of nosocomial diarrhoea in the developed world, and, in recent years, the emergence of hyper-virulent (mainly ribotypes 027 and 078, sometimes characterised by increased toxin production), epidemic strains and an increase in the number of community-acquired infections has caused further concern. Antibiotic therapy with metronidazole, vancomycin or fidaxomicin is the primary treatment for C. difficile infection (CDI). However, CDI is unique, in that, antibiotic use is also a major risk factor for acquiring CDI or recurrent CDI due to disruption of the normal gut microbiota. Therefore, there is an urgent need for alternative, non-antibiotic therapeutics to treat or prevent CDI. Here, we review a number of such potential treatments which have emerged from advances in the field of microbiome research. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Human Microbiome)
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278 KiB  
Review
A Role for the Intestinal Microbiota and Virome in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS)?
by Navena Navaneetharaja, Verity Griffiths, Tom Wileman and Simon R. Carding
J. Clin. Med. 2016, 5(6), 55; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm5060055 - 06 Jun 2016
Cited by 38 | Viewed by 22491
Abstract
Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is a heterogeneous disorder of significant societal impact that is proposed to involve both host and environmentally derived aetiologies that may be autoimmune in nature. Immune-related symptoms of at least moderate severity persisting for prolonged periods of time [...] Read more.
Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is a heterogeneous disorder of significant societal impact that is proposed to involve both host and environmentally derived aetiologies that may be autoimmune in nature. Immune-related symptoms of at least moderate severity persisting for prolonged periods of time are common in ME/CFS patients and B cell depletion therapy is of significant therapeutic benefit. The origin of these symptoms and whether it is infectious or inflammatory in nature is not clear, with seeking evidence of acute or chronic virus infections contributing to the induction of autoimmune processes in ME/CFS being an area of recent interest. This article provides a comprehensive review of the current evidence supporting an infectious aetiology for ME/CFS leading us to propose the novel concept that the intestinal microbiota and in particular members of the virome are a source of the “infectious” trigger of the disease. Such an approach has the potential to identify disease biomarkers and influence therapeutics, providing much-needed approaches in preventing and managing a disease desperately in need of confronting. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Human Microbiome)
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