Developments in the Interrelation of Gut Microbiota and Immune System for Treatment Strategies

A special issue of Life (ISSN 2075-1729). This special issue belongs to the section "Medical Research".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 October 2025 | Viewed by 1457

Special Issue Editor

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In humans, the gut microbiota is known to impact the host’s immune system health and functioning, showing great importance in health and disease. More recent findings draw attention to the complex interplay between the gut microbiota and the innate immune system, with special regard to gut microbiota dynamics as a perspective in therapeutic regimens. The gut microbial imbalance during dysbiosis is classically associated with inflammatory and autoimmune diseases and is known to impact the success of therapeutic measures such as vaccines and cancer therapy. This Special Issue seeks to comprehensively discuss the latest developments in modulating and understanding the gut microbiota and immune system interplay.

We welcome original research, reviews, and clinical reports aimed at characterizing microbiota and immune system interactions and their therapeutic potential in  relation to holistic treatment. Suggested topics include the following:

Principles shaping innate and adaptive immunity by the microbiota;

Influence of microbiota on the safety and effectiveness of immunotherapy, cancer vaccines and checkpoint inhibitors;

Modulation of immune response by employing strategic microbiota manipulation;

Influence of certain groups of bacteria like Bifidobacterium.

Prof. Dr. Emanuel Vamanu
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • gut microbiota
  • innate immune system
  • immunotherapy
  • dysbiosis
  •  bifidobacterium
  • microbiota modulation
  • probiotics
  • prebiotics
  • symbiotics
  • postbiotics
  • cancer immunotherapy
  • autoimmune diseases
  • vaccine response
  • immune regulation
  • therapeutic microbiology
  • translational medicine

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

13 pages, 2107 KB  
Article
Neurobehavioral Protection by Prebiotic Formulations in a Scopolamine-Induced Cognitive Impaired Zebrafish Model
by Emanuel Vamanu, Ionela Avram, Diana Roxana Pelinescu, Hesham R. El-Seedi, Lucian Hritcu, Ion Brinza, Laura-Dorina Dinu and Razvan Stefan Boiangiu
Life 2025, 15(8), 1268; https://doi.org/10.3390/life15081268 - 11 Aug 2025
Viewed by 1286
Abstract
The present work evaluates the influence of two prebiotic formulations—P1 (ColonX) and P4 (a product containing AnXietate extract), at concentrations of 3 and 6 mg/L—on scopolamine (SCOP, 100 μM)-induced cognitive dysfunction and anxiety-related behaviors in adult zebrafish (Danio rerio). To assess behavioral alterations, [...] Read more.
The present work evaluates the influence of two prebiotic formulations—P1 (ColonX) and P4 (a product containing AnXietate extract), at concentrations of 3 and 6 mg/L—on scopolamine (SCOP, 100 μM)-induced cognitive dysfunction and anxiety-related behaviors in adult zebrafish (Danio rerio). To assess behavioral alterations, wild-type fish were subjected to the novel tank assay (NTT), Y-maze study, and novel object recognition test protocol (NOR). The formulations were examined for potential anti-inflammatory activity and cytotoxicity. In parallel, in vitro assays were performed to evaluate cytotoxic and anti-inflammatory effects. The results indicate that both prebiotic formulations effectively mitigated SCOP-induced behavioral impairments and improved cognitive performance in zebrafish. Furthermore, the prebiotic formulation P4 showed significant anti-inflammatory activity without inducing cytotoxicity. The study was conducted following ethical guidelines, ensuring scientific rigor and integrity. These findings highlight the therapeutic potential of prebiotics in alleviating anxiety and cognitive deficits, with promising implications for the management of neuropsychiatric disorders. Full article
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