Host-Microbiota Interactions in Gastrointestinal Diseases and Cancer: Molecular Mechanisms and Therapeutic Opportunities

The human microbiota refers to the diverse collection of microorganisms, including bacteria, archaea, viruses, fungi, protozoa, and helminths, that reside on or within a person’s body. These microorganisms actively contribute to the overall well-being and susceptibility to disease of their host. With advancements in next-generation sequencing technologies, researchers have been able to unravel their composition, features and crucial functions related to health and disease. An increasing body of evidence from various studies has now highlighted the connections between gastrointestinal diseases and an imbalance in the gut microbiota, which can ultimately lead to the occurrence and development of gastrointestinal cancers, such as colorectal cancer. This is primarily due to their interactions with host cells, their regulation of immunity, and self-metabolism processes, and among other factors. Studies also support the significant role of the gut microbiota in influencing responses to immunotherapies and targeted treatments, thereby expanding the therapeutic possibilities for regulating the microbiome. However, there is still much to explore concerning the intricate interactions between gut microbiota and their hosts, as well as the potential clinical applications that could emerge from this knowledge.

This Research Topic aims to delve into the underlying molecular mechanisms of host-microbiota interactions that shed light on the impact of microbiota dysbiosis on the occurrence, development and treatment of gastrointestinal diseases and cancers.

We welcome the submission of Original Research articles, Reviews, and Mini-reviews including, but not limited to, the following subtopics:
• Uncovering the distinctive dysbiosis signatures of microbiota in gastrointestinal diseases;
• Exploring the involvement of disease-associated gut microbes in modulating the tumor microenvironment;
• Investigating the intricate mechanisms underlying host-microbiota interactions in gastrointestinal diseases;
• Microbial-derived metabolites that promote cancer development and progression;
• Exploring the potential of microbiota-based therapeutics in managing gastrointestinal diseases.

Please note: studies consisting solely of bioinformatic investigation of publicly available genomic/transcriptomic/proteomic data do not fall within the scope of the section unless they are expanded and provide significant biological or mechanistic insight into the process being studied and will not be accepted as part of this Research Topic.