About this Research Topic
The prevalence of obesity and metabolic comorbidities has considerably increased worldwide, affecting the life of a large group of individuals. As a component of many chronic disease conditions, obesity is characterized by persistent, low-grade inflammation and is increasing in the aging population. It is acknowledged that obesity is involved in endocrine diseases, cardiovascular diseases, hepatic diseases, pulmonary diseases, gastrointestinal diseases, and certain cancers. These include but are not limited to diabetes, NAFLD, polycystic ovary syndrome, metabolic syndrome and atherosclerosis, which are major causes of death worldwide.
The conventional pathogenesis of obesity is a combination of genetic, environmental factors, and systemic inflammation of adipose tissue. Over the past few decades, more and more evidence suggested that gut microbiota is an important environmental factor that plays a crucial role in obesity and associated metabolic disorders. The gut microbiota, in the equilibrium state, protects the health of the host and helps with weight balance and energy homeostasis. Accordingly, genomic, dietary, lifestyle, and epigenetic changes in the host can pathologically alter the composition of the microbiota. In the imbalanced state or dysbiosis of gut microbiota, components of pathogenic pathogens such as lipopolysaccharides can enter the bloodstream bind to receptors on adipose tissue and induce adipose tissue dysfunction. Afterwards, the secretion of inflammatory cytokines in adipose tissue increased, inducing persistent low chronic inflammation and leading to the development of obesity. The damage to health caused by the dysbiosis of gut microbiota can be reduced by interventions, or restored in the early stage. Knowing the relationships between microbiota and the development of obesity will help develop microbiota-directed therapeutics to prevent and treat obesity.
The aim of this Research Topic is to investigate the pathogenesis and pathophysiology of obesity focusing on the association and mechanisms between intestinal microbiota and obesity. Therefore, it aims to include studies of pathological mechanisms, the role, mechanisms and pathways by which gut microbiota is regulated in diet-induced obesity and modulates the development of diet-induced obesity-associated metabolic disorders. By understanding these mechanisms, our goal is to develop therapeutic strategies to ameliorate obesity and its complications.
We welcome Original Research articles, Reviews, Opinions, Perspectives, and Systematic Reviews, including but not limited to the following themes:
• The role of gut microbiota and metabolic inflammation in obesity-associated metabolic disorders
• The underlying mechanisms that promote the dysbiosis of gut microbiota in response to high-calorie diet
• New insights into the gut microbiome and its impacts on insulin resistance, islet beta-cell function and obesity-related disorders
• Alteration of the gut microbiota's composition in pathogenesis and clinical prognosis of glucose metabolic disorder and metabolic syndrome
• The dysbiosis of gut microbiota and its role in inducing browning of white adipose
• Gut microbiota plays a pivotal role in the onset and resolution of chronic inflammation, and macrophage polarization
• The role of the gut microbiome in the pathophysiological mechanism of reproductive disorders and polycystic ovary syndrome
• Clinical features or intestinal microbiota composition in COVID-19 patients with obesity-associated metabolic disorders
• Characteristics of intestinal flora are related to clinically heterogeneous phenotypes of glucose metabolic disorder and obesity
• Association between psychological health and outcomes from the dysbiosis of gut microbiota in obesity
• Microbiota-directed therapeutics and dietary intervention
The conventional pathogenesis of obesity is a combination of genetic, environmental factors, and systemic inflammation of adipose tissue. Over the past few decades, more and more evidence suggested that gut microbiota is an important environmental factor that plays a crucial role in obesity and associated metabolic disorders. The gut microbiota, in the equilibrium state, protects the health of the host and helps with weight balance and energy homeostasis. Accordingly, genomic, dietary, lifestyle, and epigenetic changes in the host can pathologically alter the composition of the microbiota. In the imbalanced state or dysbiosis of gut microbiota, components of pathogenic pathogens such as lipopolysaccharides can enter the bloodstream bind to receptors on adipose tissue and induce adipose tissue dysfunction. Afterwards, the secretion of inflammatory cytokines in adipose tissue increased, inducing persistent low chronic inflammation and leading to the development of obesity. The damage to health caused by the dysbiosis of gut microbiota can be reduced by interventions, or restored in the early stage. Knowing the relationships between microbiota and the development of obesity will help develop microbiota-directed therapeutics to prevent and treat obesity.
The aim of this Research Topic is to investigate the pathogenesis and pathophysiology of obesity focusing on the association and mechanisms between intestinal microbiota and obesity. Therefore, it aims to include studies of pathological mechanisms, the role, mechanisms and pathways by which gut microbiota is regulated in diet-induced obesity and modulates the development of diet-induced obesity-associated metabolic disorders. By understanding these mechanisms, our goal is to develop therapeutic strategies to ameliorate obesity and its complications.
We welcome Original Research articles, Reviews, Opinions, Perspectives, and Systematic Reviews, including but not limited to the following themes:
• The role of gut microbiota and metabolic inflammation in obesity-associated metabolic disorders
• The underlying mechanisms that promote the dysbiosis of gut microbiota in response to high-calorie diet
• New insights into the gut microbiome and its impacts on insulin resistance, islet beta-cell function and obesity-related disorders
• Alteration of the gut microbiota's composition in pathogenesis and clinical prognosis of glucose metabolic disorder and metabolic syndrome
• The dysbiosis of gut microbiota and its role in inducing browning of white adipose
• Gut microbiota plays a pivotal role in the onset and resolution of chronic inflammation, and macrophage polarization
• The role of the gut microbiome in the pathophysiological mechanism of reproductive disorders and polycystic ovary syndrome
• Clinical features or intestinal microbiota composition in COVID-19 patients with obesity-associated metabolic disorders
• Characteristics of intestinal flora are related to clinically heterogeneous phenotypes of glucose metabolic disorder and obesity
• Association between psychological health and outcomes from the dysbiosis of gut microbiota in obesity
• Microbiota-directed therapeutics and dietary intervention
Keywords: Gut microbiota, Obesity, Metabolic disorders, Chronic inflammation, Molecular mechanisms
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
