Mycobacterium avium in Crohn’s Disease and Other Inflammatory Diseases

Dear Colleagues,

For many decades, the question of the involvement of Mycobacterium avium paratuberculosis (MAP) in Crohn’s Disease has confounded scientists continually. However, rapidly developing technologies and rediscoveries of old thinking and methods has helped accelerate investigations into this association. We are learning it is not a simple cause (infection) and effect (disease) model but involves critical components of the host-microbe response, sensitivities, and microbiome profiling, with immunological and macrophage responses at play.

Microbiome studies are rapidly evolving, and new discoveries are changing the way we think about the composition and effects on the host, signalling mechanisms and molecules, inflammatory contribution, biology of organisms and their interactions with the local and systemic environment, availability of resources, and synergistic relationships with commensal, opportunistic, and pathogenic organisms. New applications for the use of microbes and commercial opportunities are being created. A greater understanding of the gut microbiome will lead to new strategies for treatment of Crohn’s Disease and other chronic inflammatory diseases.

It is fortunate that there is already an animal model present for comparison and analysis in the form of Johne’s Disease. However, there are current limitations and restrictions in direct comparisons to an infection in humans. The main criticism levelled as to whether MAP is a pathogenic or opportunistic micro-organism in humans is the lack of a reliable diagnostic assay, specificity markers to Crohn’s Disease, and treatment curative benefits, according to currently desired phase III Randomised Control Trials.

This Special Issue of Microorganisms will be dedicated to the following themes: MAP in Crohn’s Disease and other inflammatory diseases that have been proposed such as sarcoidosis and psoriasis; the microbiome in Crohn’s disease; the microbiome effects on the human host and dysbiosis consequences; functional analysis, manipulating and treating the microbiome to suppress pathogens; challenges and tools of microbiome and mycobacteria research (standardization, taxonomy, data analysis); treatment effects and challenges of M.avium and critically; whether there is a relationship between MAP and dysbiosis of the gut microbiome in Crohn’s Disease. Other desired topics will address culture and diagnoses of Mycobacteria avium, Johne’s disease parallels and epidemiology, and the evidence for a zoonotic disease.

We hope you’ll be curious and excited to submit your innovative research and proposals on this microorganism.

Dr. Gaurav Agrawal
Dr. Thomas Borody
Prof. Dr. Saleh A. Naser
Dr. Michael. T. Collins
Dr. John Aitken
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. Microorganisms is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly 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 2700 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.