Allergies, Inflammation, and the Immune System: A Holistic Approach to Understanding the Interplay Between Host Microbiota and Chronic Diseases

Food allergies represent a significant and escalating public health challenge globally, affecting individuals from infancy through adulthood with varying degrees of severity. Factors such as antibiotic use, environmental influences, breastfeeding versus formula feeding, and early childhood nutrition have been identified as pivotal in predisposing individuals to food allergies. These factors are known to impact gut microbiota, leading to conditions of dysbiosis that have been associated with allergic responses. Despite a growing body of research in neonatal cases, there is a noticeable scarcity of studies focusing on the correlation between gut microbiota and allergies later in life. Recent investigations have begun to unravel potential links between dysbiosis in the gut microbiota and the subsequent development of food allergies in adolescents and adults. Yet, the underlying mechanisms remain obscure and are insufficiently understood.

This Research Topic aims to explore the integrative role of the microbiota across the lifespan in both the development and the pathogenesis of food allergies. By comprehensively examining how gut microbiota influences these processes, the initiative seeks to uncover novel insights that could lead to groundbreaking preventive and therapeutic strategies. Additionally, understanding these relationships may uncover new treatment modalities and underscore the potential clinical advantages of early intervention in managing food allergies.

In pursuit of broader understanding and innovation in this field, we invite contributions that cover but are not limited to the following areas:

- Gut-immunity axis in food allergy
- The influence of the microbiome on food allergy phenotypes and severity
- Interactions between antibiotics, food allergies, and the microbiota
- Comparative impacts of early versus late weaning on the later development of food allergies
- Mechanisms of action of prebiotics and probiotics in managing food allergies
- Strategies for food allergy alleviation through early microbiome interventions
- Immunomodulatory roles of prebiotics and probiotics in food allergy contexts
- Effects of infant nutrition on microbial communities in the gut and the progression of food allergies over the life span

By focusing on these themes, we hope to catalyze significant advances in the understanding and treatment of food allergies through the lens of microbiota research.

Keywords: Allergies, Inflammation, Immune system, Host microbiota, Chronic diseases, Gut microbiota, Food allergies, Dysbiosis, Pathogenesis, Therapeutic strategies, Immunomodulation, Probiotics, Prebiotics, Early-life nutrition, Microbial communities

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.