Microbiomes and Childhood Health Outcomes

Dear Colleagues,

The human microbiome, which comprises diverse microbial communities residing within the gastrointestinal tract, plays a crucial role in modulating the health outcomes of children via immunologic support and protection. Environmental factors, such as an imbalanced and processed diet, as well as exposure to toxins, can adversely impact the composition and diversity of the microbiome. The aim of this Special Issue is to explore the contributory effects of microbiomes on the development, progression, prognosis, mortality, and survival of pediatric obesity, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and malignant neoplasms, as well as to investigate potential interventions targeting the microbiome for therapeutic advantage and substantial outcomes.

This Special Issue (SI) aims to investigate the role of the microbiome in modulating immune responses, metabolic pathways, and inflammatory processes associated with these conditions, as well as to explore the potential of microbiome-based interventions, such as probiotics, prebiotics, and fecal microbiota transplantation, in the prevention and management of these diseases. This SI encompasses both non-experimental and experimental study designs to comprehensively address clinical and population-based topics.  Specifically, these designs involve ecologic studies, case–control studies, cross-sectional studies, cohort studies, and human experimental designs (clinical trials), as well as systematic reviews, such as met analysis and quantitative evidence synthesis (QES).  Additionally, community-based studies to monitor the long-term effects and real-world effectiveness of microbiome-based interventions are involved in this SI.

To this end, this SI involves study conceptualization, conduct, analysis, interpretation, and application of the findings to advance pediatric health optimization.  The potential results and findings may include the following: (a) identification of microbiome signatures associated with the development and progression of targeted conditions;  (b) elucidation of the mechanisms by which the microbiome influences metabolic processes, immune responses, and inflammatory pathways relevant to these diseases;  (c) evaluation of the efficacy and safety of microbiome-based interventions, such as probiotics, prebiotics, or fecal microbiota transplantation, in the prevention or management of pediatric obesity, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and malignant neoplasms; and (d) exploration of the impact of environmental factors, diet, and lifestyle on the pediatric microbiome and their implications for disease risk and progression.

The findings of this SI will contribute to a deeper understanding of the role of the microbiome in pediatric health and disease. Potential clinical recommendations may include (a) strategies for modulating the microbiome through dietary interventions, probiotics, or other approaches to prevent or manage targeted conditions; (b) guidelines for the appropriate use of microbiome-based interventions, considering factors such as age, disease stage, and comorbidities; and (c)  lifestyle modifications and environmental intervention recommendations for promoting a healthy microbiome and reducing disease risk, as well as the identification of future research directions and prioritization in the field of microbiome-based interventions for pediatric populations. Furthermore, by integrating the latest research on the implications of the microbiome in pediatric obesity, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and malignant neoplasms, this SI aims to advance our understanding and provide a foundation for developing novel therapeutic strategies targeting the microbiome to improve pediatric health outcomes.

Prof. Dr. Laurens Holmes, Jr.
Guest Editor

Dr. Michael Enwere
Dr. Kerti Deepika
Guest Editor Assistants

Manuscript Submission Information

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Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 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.

• microbiomes
• pediatrics
• childhood
• obesity
• cardiovascular disease
• type 2 diabetics
• malignant neoplasm
• human experimental design (clinical trial)
• translational
• nonexperimental design (ecologic, case–control, cross sectional, and cohort design)